Wednesday
15.09.2021
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0013:00 - 13:48
Nature´s Nurseries
Mammals, fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even plants, they all share the same goal in life – to reproduce successfully. All of the species of this planet have developed their own special strategy to raise their offspring. In addition to the astounding and fascinating strategies in nature, the viewer gains a fundamental insight: It doesn´t matter whether a species has only one or a few or even a thousand „kids“: At the end of the life of the parent-animals, on average only two specimens of the offspring remain. If there are fewer, the species dies out. If there are more, the result is overpopulation.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 48 min
15:15 - 15:23
Confluence
"Confluence" takes an intimate look into the world of the artist Charlotte Watson. Her insight reveals the beauty that can emerge when noticing the patterns of the natural world. The film is set during one of the world's longest Covid-19 lockdowns in Naarm/Melbourne. To keep going during the pandemic, Charlotte walked the streets every night to watch the bats whose sense of time began to give her certainty. If she saw their migration in the evening, she had made it through another day, in a time where duration and the calendar ceased to matter.
Director: Eva OtsingLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 8 min
16:00 - 16:52
Feast of the Killer Whales
Didier Noirot is known as one of the world’s greatest underwater cameramen and has several prestigious awards for his natural history film camerawork. Over the past 40 years, Didier has been driven by his passion for marine life, but now he’s set himself a new challenge, to film what is perhaps the largest known gathering of marine mammals in the world; hundreds of killer whales in pursuit of shoals of herring. Today, these killer whales are faced with unexpected competition from humpback whales, who began appearing in this Arctic region only a few years ago, driven by a lack of food resources in the Atlantic Ocean, their natural habitat. In the midst of this changing ecosystem, we journey to the heart of the Norwegian fjords, where Didier Noirot’s aim is to take us as close as we can get to these giants of the Arctic so we can witness first-hand their new behavior and hunting activity, which has never been captured on film before.
Director: Alexis Barbier-Bouvet, Didier NoirotLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
14:00 - 15:00
Rebirth
The goal of “Rebirth“ is not to “tell“ the audience about nature's knowledge and environmental protection responsibilities, but to lead the audience into this magnificent small universe, let all beings tell their own stories, and then return to the comparison between the audience and the natural life. It hopes to express the universal "humanity" through the film. Humans and insects are actually indistinguishable beings. If people can see what they are like from the habits and appearances of creatures, they may be able to empathize and share this wonderful experience. Small universe, big world.
Director: Chia-Lung ChanLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 60 min
15:15 - 15:33
Under Control
"Under Control" shows human action from the insect's level. The botanical garden is an artificial nature-like installation where each room has its own microclimate. Despite human attempts to control the environment, pests are spreading and eating the plants all over the garden. The gardeners are fighting against the pests with cryptobugs; thousands of ladybirds that are specially bred for killing and imported from abroad. But since cryptobugs alone don’t solve the problem, the gardeners have to rely on the help of an exterminator who kills the pests as well as all the other insects with poisons. As the remedies get harsher, the bystanders will have to face the consequences.
Director: Ville KoskinenLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 18 min
18:00 - 18:52
My Dragon River
A humble river in north-west Germany shows itself to be a natural paradise, where Banded Demoiselle dragonflies flutter on sapphire wings over the water-meadows, foxes bring up their young, and beavers build their lodges. Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell and Georg Rüppell film these butterfly-like flying jewels in breathtaking slow-motion- and macro sequences, both above and below the water. They also reveal the fishing techniques of the kingfishers, and of the dippers, the only songbirds that swim and hunt underwater. This riverine life is fill of mini-dramas, from the mating flights of the male dragonflies to the consummation of their love-wheels and the precision of the females’ egg-laying; from the leaping, insect-grabbing attacks of the frogs to their own desperate attempts to escape the sudden assaults of swimming grass snakes.
Director: Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell, Georg RüppellLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
12:00 - 12:50
What a colorful World
‘What a Colorful World’ takes the viewer on a journey around the globe to discover a host of colourful creatures that make our world such a spectacularly diverse place. Seen from space, Earth may appear mainly green and blue, but a closer look reveals the true abundance of hues and shades caused by light refraction. From giant humpback whales to tiny dancing spiders, from pink flamingos to blue-footed boobies, from strange-looking mandrills to frantic fiddler crabs – we explore what makes our globe such a kaleidoscope of color.
Director:Location: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
10:00 - 10:48
Nature´s Nurseries
Mammals, fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even plants, they all share the same goal in life – to reproduce successfully. All of the species of this planet have developed their own special strategy to raise their offspring. In addition to the astounding and fascinating strategies in nature, the viewer gains a fundamental insight: It doesn´t matter whether a species has only one or a few or even a thousand „kids“: At the end of the life of the parent-animals, on average only two specimens of the offspring remain. If there are fewer, the species dies out. If there are more, the result is overpopulation.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 48 min
17:00 - 17:30
Stolen Fish
In the Gambia, the smallest country of mainland Africa, fish is now being powdered up by Chinese corporations and exported to Europe and China to feed animals in industrial farming. As a result, Gambians are being deprived of their primary source of protein, overfishing is depleting marine ecosystems. The film follows Abou, Mariama and Paul, three Gambians who share intimate stories of daily struggle, anger, hope and longing for their loved ones. The first film on Gambia’s fishmeal factories offering a unique insight into untold drivers of migration and the role played by women in new economic systems. There’s so much to worry about in the world but “Stolen Fish“ is a 30 minute microcosm of what is wrong with it.
Director: Gosia JuszczakLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 30 min
16:00 - 16:52
Corona - The Pandemic and the Pangolin
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause devastation, governments and their peoples search for the source of the deadly infection. But the questions may have uncomfortable answers. There is nothing new about viruses that jump from animals to humans causing life-threatening diseases. Some suspect the armadillo-like pangolin may be the source of COVID-19, but the issue is really how the illegal and brutal wildlife trade, which sees slaughtered animals packed on top of one another, bodily fluids mixing, has created a potential for deadly viruses to jump species. For decades experts have called on governments to connect human, animal and environmental health. Conservationist Jane Goodall, marine activist Paul Watson and other experts discuss their perspectives - and the lessons we need to learn.
Director:Location: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
15:00 - 15:53
Fast Fashion: The Real Price of Low-Cost Fashion
Creating a dress for ten euros in Europe, in less than a fortnight. It’s not only possible, but it’s becoming the norm. Since the fashion industry went down the path of fast-fashion, it’s always both faster and cheaper - no matter the consequences. Let’s start with those suffering the most: the workers. They work between 12 and 15 hours a day for salaries less than half the legal minimum wage. And in abominable working conditions. Chemical products in textile factories often poison the workers and local residents. According to the brands, they no longer have time to create. In order to satisfy an insatiable consumer appetite, copying the competition’s models makes things go faster and cheaper - even if it means risking a court case now and then.
Director: Gilles Bovon, Edouard PerrinLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 53 min
14:00 - 14:51
Green Warriors: Soil Threat
Over the last 50 years, our use of phosphate based fertilizers has quadrupled. These are essential to modern agriculture, used especially for growing potatoes. Most fertilizers come from Morocco, where the pollution from phosphate mines is poisoning local drinking supplies, causing birth defects in animals and health problems in children. But also present in most phosphate-based fertilizer is cadmium, a toxic heavy metal linked to kidney and bone disease. A team of journalists, in collaboration with European scientists, set out to search for evidence of the extent of pollution in Morocco. They also want to see if the cadmium in these fertilizers is contaminating potatoes and entering the food chain. Their revelations will make the news and change the law. In this investigation, the Green Warriors team reveal the implications of our addiction to cheap fertilizer.
Director: Martin BoudotLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
Thursday
16.09.2021
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0015:00 - 16:45
Overland
"Overland" unfolds in a world increasingly driven by technology and routine, where we are losing touch with nature and our primal spirit is fading. Immersed in remote deserts, mountains, and grasslands, three extraordinary people from contrasting cultures practice the ancient art of falconry to wake their inner wild. However, in their quests to connect to the natural world, Lauren, Giovanni, and Khalifa must overcome social rejection, vanishing traditions, dwindling wilderness, elusive prey and the complicated instincts of their falcons, eagles, and hawks. The stories in Overland offer a stunning cinematic journey across four continents that twists and turns like nature itself, bridging ancient to modern, east to west, and earth to sky.
Director: Elisabeth Haviland James, Revere La NoueLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 105 min
14:00 - 14:52
Feast of the Killer Whales
Didier Noirot is known as one of the world’s greatest underwater cameramen and has several prestigious awards for his natural history film camerawork. Over the past 40 years, Didier has been driven by his passion for marine life, but now he’s set himself a new challenge, to film what is perhaps the largest known gathering of marine mammals in the world; hundreds of killer whales in pursuit of shoals of herring. Today, these killer whales are faced with unexpected competition from humpback whales, who began appearing in this Arctic region only a few years ago, driven by a lack of food resources in the Atlantic Ocean, their natural habitat. In the midst of this changing ecosystem, we journey to the heart of the Norwegian fjords, where Didier Noirot’s aim is to take us as close as we can get to these giants of the Arctic so we can witness first-hand their new behavior and hunting activity, which has never been captured on film before.
Director: Alexis Barbier-Bouvet, Didier NoirotLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
17:00 - 17:52
The Otter, a Legend returns
In Western Europe the otter drastically declined in numbers and even completely disappeared from The Netherlands. This was mainly due to hunting, loss of habitat, pollution and traffic collisions. But the Dutch set the example by investing in their water quality and restoring the habitat of the otter to enable its reintroduction. People now have a chance to spot the otter as it spreads through The Netherlands and even ventures into the heart of a city. Unique footage provides an insight into the life of the illusive Eurasian otter and the measures that are needed to protect this ambassador of the freshwater environment.
Director: Hilco JansmaLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
20:15 - 21:30
Animals
A birdcall-imitation-seminar, an animal-telepathy-hotline, a beauty contest for pedigree dogs. Wherever the film goes: animals are sorted, studied, and processed; and yet they remain enigmatic and absent. What's inside the animals? The closer they are examined, the less certainty remains. And as the animals increasingly disappoint, a melancholic perplexity sets in. The idea was to find an answer within the animal, but instead people lost a sense of themselves. Encounters in faux fur costumes offer a last hope for warmth and dissolution. A film that acts like a shimmering mirror, in which we painfully recognise ourselves.
Director: Jonas SpriestersbachLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 75 min
18:00 - 18:52
Leopard Legacy
Filmed over more than three years, filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp share yet another incredible true wildlife story. Living along the banks of the Luangwa, they closely followed a courageous, devoted mother leopard and her two newborn cubs as they each faced their own challenges in the African wilderness. From life-threatening encounters with hyenas, baboons and other leopards, to the remarkable triumphs of their most spectacular and unique hunts, and the unexpected losses that bring tragedy to their lives - the two generations of leopards bring a real, intimate story of what truly happens in the fascinating life of such a gracious, elusive big cat.
Director: Will Steenkamp, Lianne SteenkampLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
19:00 - 20:03
When the Snow melts down
Two people. Two different worlds. He is a hermit and a reindeer herder. His home is mountains and taiga covered with snow. He depends only on himself, because his life is absolute freedom. She is a resident of Rome, devotes almost all of her time to work and manages to travel around Italy only during short leisure breaks. Their worlds are so different that it seems that there can be nothing in common between them. But they both know how quickly life is changing.
Director: Aleksei GolovkovLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 63 min
12:00 - 12:52
Hotter than Climate Change
In Switzerland and all around the world, young people are on the streets and strike for climate. This commitment is ideological, but also personal and intimate. These young people are living in a state of emergency, they fear for tomorrow.
Director: Adrien Bordone, Bastien BösigerLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
10:00 - 10:52
Hotter than Climate Change
In Switzerland and all around the world, young people are on the streets and strike for climate. This commitment is ideological, but also personal and intimate. These young people are living in a state of emergency, they fear for tomorrow.
Director: Adrien Bordone, Bastien BösigerLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
14:30 - 15:18
Echoes of the Ice Age
In the Southeastern-most part of Germany, rises Mount Watzmann. This mighty peak is a stone guardian of a remarkable wild region that holds tight to its secret nature. There are more secrets to reveal where the mountains disappear into the depths of Lake Königssee, a lake that holds a stark resemblance to a fjord at the coasts of the Atlantic ocean. Underwater, fossil marine creatures in limestone rock tell of an ancient seabed, buried deep then heaved skywards by battling tectonic plates. Deep grooves and gouges in the rock were left by an ice age glacier, more than one kilometer thick as it chiseled its way down the valley. Though the ice age ended 12,000 years ago, the mountains still carry echoes of that frozen past. “Echoes of the Ice Age“ is a portrait of the wildlife in this breathtaking scenery of the Berchtesgaden Alps.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 48 min
19:00 - 19:51
The Alps EP 1: The High Life
This episode focuses on the warm months of the year. In the western foothills of the Alps in Italy and France, the Mediterranean flora and fauna meets the animals and plants of the alpine environment. When lizards in the low-lying olive groves begin seeking out mates in spring, the marmots are still hibernating in their burrows in the snow-covered higher elevations. In one of the deepest Alpine river canyons, Verdon Gorge, the griffon vultures have already begun to reproduce and rear their young. Meanwhile, higher up, a golden eagle continues to circle above its still-frozen realm. Eventually, the snow gives in to the ever-warming temperatures and begins to melt; the perfect moment for marmots to emerge. After six long months of hibernation, it’s a blast to stretch some legs and stock up on nutritious food, but the marmots must be careful: the golden eagles are equally hungry and never far away. Innumerous common frogs that have spent the cold season underground now re-appear and begin their courtship in the Alpine ponds and lakes. Millions of crocuses and other harbingers of spring that were biding their time now cover the slopes in a sea of colour. Spring and summer are a time for courtship, mating, feasting, giving birth and rearing offspring - for everyone who lives and thrives in this extraordinary environment. In the Alps, summer lasts just four months and is therefore extremely demanding for most wild animal species: ibex, red deer, chamois, marmots, golden eagles, ptarmigans, mountain hares, lynxes, wolves and bears have all found ways of taking full advantage of this brief time of plenty.
Director: Otmar PenkerLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
15:30 - 16:50
Buromsky Island
There's an island in the Southern Ocean off the coast of Antarctica. No one knows about it apart from the polar explorers who spend winter there. And their relatives. The sarcophaguses are situated right on the rocks. These are people who aren’t mentioned on the pages of geography textbooks. But without them it would be impossible to explore Antarctica. More than 60 years have passed since the first burial. During this time, the cemetery has never been renovated. Our team of 8 people went to Antarctica to complete this task for the first time.
Director: Olga StefanovaLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 80 min
20:00 - 21:18
What the Trees whisper about
There is a forest, undisturbed by man, where the noise of chainsaws is never heard. A forest where trees can live for hundreds of years and finally turn to soil in the same spot where they were born. They are born, they live, and they die… Silently, unnoticed, and still in eternal diversity. The millions of living organisms of the forest build upon this continuous circulation, each according to its own needs – depending on the living or the dead. Here, life and death cannot be separated. It is the dead that new life springs from and an entire bygone generation nourishes their offspring after their own demise. A forest… a community, a delicately interwoven thread of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. A community in which each of the elements are linked to the other and all of them serve the benefit of the Whole.
Director: Rita TakácsLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 78 min
17:00 - 17:52
They Came to Stay - Our Alien Animal Neighbors: Rheas
A small area in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is home to the only colony of wild rheas living in Europe. The forebears of these ostrich-like birds from South America escaped from an enclosure in northern Germany twenty years ago. Since then, they have been multiplying largely undisturbed. Farmers complain about crop losses and conservationists suspect an impact on rare insects. Now, a researcher is on the trail of Europe's largest birds.
Director: Herbert OstwaldLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
18:00 - 18:52
They Came to Stay - Our Alien Animal Neighbors: Coypus
Coypus look like beavers with rats’ tails, but they’re South American rodents. Originally escaped from fur farms, over decades they have colonized Europe’s waterways. Here, they dig tunnels and caves in the banks and eat the vegetation. While aquatic farmers and conservationists battle against them rigorously, animal lovers in cities feed and encourage them. So how should we deal with coypus?
Director: Herbert OstwaldLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
19:00 - 19:50
Green Warriors: Cursed Uranium
We follow the uranium path from Niger to Europe to reveal the extent of the radioactive pollution created. In the Niger desert, home to some of the largest uranium reserves in the world, lies the Areva mine. Every year, Niger produces over 2,500 tons of yellow cake, a uranium concentrate, creating tons of toxic waste. Close to the mine is the village of Arlit, where radioactivity levels exceed those of the Chernobyl Prohibited Zone. Dust from the mine is carried on the winds into people’s houses, endangering their lives and killing local wildlife. From Niger, the Uranium is shipped to the Orano plant in Narbonne, France, which has become the gateway of uranium to Europe. Here it is purified before being sent on to nuclear plants, a process which again causes tons of toxic waste. Near the plant, radioactivity levels are 50 times normal and campaigners call for tighter regulation. We have taken dozens of samples from residents in both Arlit and Narbonne to learn more about uranium pollution. Our findings triggered a political debate and are now used as evidence in a lawsuit against the mining company.
Director: Martin BoudotLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
16:30 - 17:10
Remedy
The story of group of young people travelling by boat from the Canary Islands to the southern part of Senegal to bring simple water filters to the Casamance area.The visual mosaic captures life of citizens of seven local villages and shows the process of implementing the Water for Senegal project of People of Hope (civic association).The Remedy shows their successes and failures, the pitfalls and problems that accompany their journey.It shows the culture and life of local people and also points out the impact of climate change on the life of communities in the region. It discusses the effectiveness and sustainability of this project and raises a question about the community's dependence on aid development. The aim of the film is to raise awareness of the world's water problems, highlight the visible effects of climate change and inspire people to take an active part in what is happening around us.
Director: Jakub ŠipošLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 40 min
14:30 - 15:13
Looking for Bears
“Looking of Bears” is an adventurous story about a young man who travels to very remote mountainous areas in northern Iran to find and recognize brown bears. He lives in these areas for six months, during which time he manages to meet a family of bears and try his luck at getting closer to them. Although he goes through many ups and downs during this period, but in the end, he succeeds not only in getting closer to the bear family but also in following their lives closely and witnessing the ups and downs of their lives.
Director: Mahdi ChalaniLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 43 min
15:30 - 16:10
Bleeding Ice: Antarctica, The Final Chapter
A poetic, yet honest look at how climate change affects Antarctica and its ecosystems and in return affects the rest of the planet and humanity. A testimony from those working on the front line of the battle witnessing the changes first hand. With the world on a knife’s edge with the climate crises we’re facing and Antarctica breaking the record in 2020 for its highest ever recorded temperatures, a man-made mass extinction looms, but it’s not too late yet.
Director: Willem van den HeeverLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 40 min
17:30 - 18:34
Salto is the King
Rappelling the highest waterfalls on earth becomes a great challenge for a group of Slovak friends. They want to fuse with the water element. Their expeditions become journeys into the unknown and the only certainty is the power of their friendship. Can they abseil of the highest waterfalls of the world?
Director: Pavol BarabasLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 64 min
20:00 - 20:51
Green Warriors: Soil Threat
Over the last 50 years, our use of phosphate based fertilizers has quadrupled. These are essential to modern agriculture, used especially for growing potatoes. Most fertilizers come from Morocco, where the pollution from phosphate mines is poisoning local drinking supplies, causing birth defects in animals and health problems in children. But also present in most phosphate-based fertilizer is cadmium, a toxic heavy metal linked to kidney and bone disease. A team of journalists, in collaboration with European scientists, set out to search for evidence of the extent of pollution in Morocco. They also want to see if the cadmium in these fertilizers is contaminating potatoes and entering the food chain. Their revelations will make the news and change the law. In this investigation, the Green Warriors team reveal the implications of our addiction to cheap fertilizer.
Director: Martin BoudotLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
Friday
17.09.2021
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0013:00 - 14:19
Wolves at the Borders
Wolves are back! Having been exterminated in the Broumov region in the Czech Republic more than two hundred years ago, wolves have been slowly returning to the countryside and changing the lives of the locals. The documentary “Wolves at the Borders” looks at the contradictory reactions to their arrival: while for some people they offer hope of making the nature healthier, others see them only as enemies killing helpless farm animals who cannot be effectively protected. Are we able to coexist with wolves and with each other?
Director: Martin PávLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 79 min
11:30 - 12:33
When the Snow melts down
Two people. Two different worlds. He is a hermit and a reindeer herder. His home is mountains and taiga covered with snow. He depends only on himself, because his life is absolute freedom. She is a resident of Rome, devotes almost all of her time to work and manages to travel around Italy only during short leisure breaks. Their worlds are so different that it seems that there can be nothing in common between them. But they both know how quickly life is changing.
Director: Aleksei GolovkovLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 63 min
19:00 - 19:51
On thin Ice
Russia. Roughly two thirds of the Arctic belongs to the worlds largest country. Here, Siberia alone has the size of Australia. An enormous chunk of cold land framed by icy seas. Large areas of Northern Russia used to be no-go zones for decades. For the first time, scientists of all over the world are beginning to explore this huge area and what they find is alarming. Gigantic canyons, “megaslumps”, are opening up where used to be endless taiga forest. Enormous layers of permafrost are thawing out and revealing remains of the ancient Siberian megafauna. In the Russian Arctic, climate change is not a question anymore. Its happening, now and there, at a worrying pace. Scientists say, that the tipping point was reached already years ago. Now, Pandora’s box has been opened. The fate of people and wildlife is at stake as is the entire Arctic.
Director: Henry M. MixLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
20:00 - 20:59
The Whale from Lorino
"Whale From Lorino" is a film about the descendants of the oldest of Siberian tribes on the far away land of Chukotka. For them, the yearly hunt for the endangered whale is not only a tradition, but a necessity for surviving winter in a fragile place devastated by Soviet influence. The clash of two disappearing worlds; Chukchis civilisation and the universe of monumental and majestic whales in a story about the paradox of history and a harsh fight for survival.
Director: Maciej CuskeLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 59 min
14:30 - 15:21
A Hundred Year Journey
Lofty Katakarinja is an Arrernte Elder and Shaun Angeles a young man learning cultural knowledge from him. A hundred years ago something precious was taken from their people. They travel from Central Australia to the other side of the World, tracking part of their cultural heritage. What they encounter in Finland, an environment completely different from their own place of origin, is something very powerful. A Hundred Year Journey is based on a project by the Helinä Rautavaara Museum. It documents a rare encounter between cultural objects, the heirs of their original owners and creators, and two museums. The storyline follows the journey of these objects collected by missionary Oskar Liebler, who worked in Hermannsburg in central Australia in the early 20th century. Liebler collected approximately 2000 cultural objects from local First Nations communities, among which were the Arrernte Peoples. A part of his collection ended up in Finland.
Director: Antti Tuomas SeppänenLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
15:30 - 16:45
Entangled
"Entangled" is an award-winning, feature-length film about how climate change has accelerated a collision between one of the world’s most endangered species, North America’s most valuable fishery, and a federal agency mandated to protect both. The film chronicles the efforts to protect North Atlantic right whales from extinction, the impacts of those efforts on the lobster industry, and how the National Marine Fisheries Service has struggled to balance the vying interests.
Director: David AbelLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 75 min
18:00 - 18:54
Return to the lost Eden
"Following a boisterous journey on a local rundown fishing boat I landed on the long yearned Siberut island in the Mentawai archipelago, 90 miles west of Sumatra, Indonesia." In 1969 Adriano Zecca, then 24 years old, wrote brief notes on his travel journal on his incredible adventure in one of the most mysterious and less known places on earth. This extraordinary experience, shared with an almost uncontaminated indigenous community, marked the beginning of his job as a documentarian. In July 2019, after half a century of travels, reportages, and documentaries, fulfilling a career which led him to the most remote parts of the world, the Italian director is left with a haunting question from the past: What happened to the small island of Siberut and to the "flower people" inhabiting it? This documentary is an attempt to answer that question but, above all, it is the story of an emotional return journey and of an existential balancing of a lifetime. Fifty years on Adriano Zecca traces back his first trip together with his family; his wife Magda, Spanish painter, and his two sons Eloy and Raúl, a cinematographer and an anthropologist respectively.
Director: Adriano ZeccaLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 54 min
17:00 - 17:50
After the Fires
Australia’s fauna has a long, impressive history of surviving on the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Fire is a force that has shaped the nature of Australia. However, as this bushfire season has made brutally clear, climate change is increasing the scale and intensity of bushfires. ‘After the Wildfires’ charts the long-term recovery of wildlife in the aftermath of Australia’s recent catastrophic bushfires through stories of hope, human intervention and resilience. It provides an urgent message to safeguard our environment and bring about the necessary intervention required to maintain biodiversity on our planet, before it is too late.
Director: Cian O'CleryLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
12:30 - 13:45
Animals
A birdcall-imitation-seminar, an animal-telepathy-hotline, a beauty contest for pedigree dogs. Wherever the film goes: animals are sorted, studied, and processed; and yet they remain enigmatic and absent. What's inside the animals? The closer they are examined, the less certainty remains. And as the animals increasingly disappoint, a melancholic perplexity sets in. The idea was to find an answer within the animal, but instead people lost a sense of themselves. Encounters in faux fur costumes offer a last hope for warmth and dissolution. A film that acts like a shimmering mirror, in which we painfully recognise ourselves.
Director: Jonas SpriestersbachLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 75 min
11:00 - 12:10
Earth: Muted
At the bottom of Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province of China, bees are going extinct due to extensive use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work hard in the field worrying about their children's future. They are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal an universal human conflict - the difficulty to choose between your dear ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the well-being of planet and mankind itself.
Director: Mikael Kristersson, Åsa Ekman, Oscar HedinLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 70 min
14:00 - 14:50
America´s Arctic - A Refuge Imperiled
The coastal plain on the northern coast of Alaska is a unique place. For millennia it has been the summer home for huge herds of caribou and countless migratory birds. The area supports a greater variety of plant and animal life than any other protected area in the Arctic Circle. This is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ANWR in short. This film shows the splendor, enormous scope and indescribable beauty of this untouched land far to the north of Alaska, one of the last havens for caribou herds and polar bears. Shot over a period of four years this film offers a unique insight in the lives of the most charismatic arctic animals. But this unique paradise hides another natural treasure. Almost 8 million barrels of oil are believed to be recoverable from this part of the Arctic, most of it within an area designated as “1002”. The refuge is now under threat.
Director: Martin MészárosLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
18:00 - 19:22
Cows on the Roof
Fabiano is haunted by nightmares. They are a reflection of his life as the heir of his father’s small-scale agricultural business, located in an isolated valley of Southern Switzerland. He owns fifty goats and eight cows and is trying his best to produce the special alp cheese that first made his hippie parents back in the 1980s. But nothing is going the way it should... He is in debt, the alpine hut that he rents for the summer is dilapidated, and the goats cheese business is no longer profitable. His thoughts wander back to a fatal accident occurred the previous year to a Macedonian illegal worker. His death is haunting him, because he feels that he is at least in part responsible for it. Fabiano is not exactly in a good place to start a family, but will be a father soon. His girlfriend Eva is expecting and hoping to fulfill her dreams of a simple life surrounded by nature and animals. But how can they build a life together in such difficult circumstances?
Director: Aldo GugolzLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 82 min
20:00 - 21:15
The Wind. A Documentary Thriller
There is a place where emotions burst out several times a year and the life of the local community is changed forever. The halny wind comes in cycles, in every spring and autumn. One never knows if or when it turns into a destructive gale. Halny particularly affects the inhabitants of Zakopane and its area, changing picturesque mountain trails into a set for an untamed performance of a human struggle against destructive forces of nature.
Director: Michał BielawskiLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 75 min
16:00 - 16:48
Echoes of the Ice Age
In the Southeastern-most part of Germany, rises Mount Watzmann. This mighty peak is a stone guardian of a remarkable wild region that holds tight to its secret nature. There are more secrets to reveal where the mountains disappear into the depths of Lake Königssee, a lake that holds a stark resemblance to a fjord at the coasts of the Atlantic ocean. Underwater, fossil marine creatures in limestone rock tell of an ancient seabed, buried deep then heaved skywards by battling tectonic plates. Deep grooves and gouges in the rock were left by an ice age glacier, more than one kilometer thick as it chiseled its way down the valley. Though the ice age ended 12,000 years ago, the mountains still carry echoes of that frozen past. “Echoes of the Ice Age“ is a portrait of the wildlife in this breathtaking scenery of the Berchtesgaden Alps.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 48 min
17:00 - 17:30
Stolen Fish
In the Gambia, the smallest country of mainland Africa, fish is now being powdered up by Chinese corporations and exported to Europe and China to feed animals in industrial farming. As a result, Gambians are being deprived of their primary source of protein, overfishing is depleting marine ecosystems. The film follows Abou, Mariama and Paul, three Gambians who share intimate stories of daily struggle, anger, hope and longing for their loved ones. The first film on Gambia’s fishmeal factories offering a unique insight into untold drivers of migration and the role played by women in new economic systems. There’s so much to worry about in the world but “Stolen Fish“ is a 30 minute microcosm of what is wrong with it.
Director: Gosia JuszczakLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 30 min
15:00 - 15:50
Accidental Wilderness - Europe's Everglades
In the middle of Europe a mysterious, irreplaceable wilderness draws migrating birds from across the continent and beyond. Feathered guests from all over the world travel through this refuge in the West of Germany. In spring, countless rare bird species rest in the small, watery wilderness to recharge their batteries before heading to their Nordic breeding grounds. Some travel up to 7,000 kilometers. Without natural wetlands along their routes, they would hardly be able to achieve this grueling feat. But this was not always the case. Once a place where an entire city’s wastewater was deposited, this landscape has become a paradise for Europe’s birds. At a time when intensive agriculture causes nature to wither and wild meadows to become agricultural steppes, this nature reserve has become an island that offers refuge and living space for some of the most threatened animals.
Director: Christian Baumeister, Max MeisLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
13:00 - 13:50
Pumas - Legends of the Ice Mountains EP 2: Rebirth
This is the story of Cazadora, a young female puma and the only survivor of her mother Solitaria’s four cubs. Cazadora has survived all alone in the Torres del Paine mountains of Patagonia. But she still has a lot to learn – how to hunt successfully, and how to avoid conflicts with other pumas. Eventually, Cazadora makes her old family territory her home again. And she is carrying on her mother’s heritage, as she gives birth to four cubs as well.
Director: Dereck Joubert, Beverly JoubertLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
12:00 - 12:50
Pumas - Legends of the Ice Mountains EP 1: Birth
This film tells the dramatic story of Solitaria, a puma mother with four cubs. The place is Torres del Paine, a mountain massif in Patagonia, deep in the south of Chile. It is an intimate family portrait: moving, sad, joyful. We follow Solitaria through the difficulties of early motherhood, as she develops techniques to outsmart the guanacos, her preferred prey, to be able and feed her young that depend on her. But ultimately, tragedy strikes.
Director: Dereck Joubert, Beverly JoubertLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
20:00 - 21:10
Earth: Muted
At the bottom of Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province of China, bees are going extinct due to extensive use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work hard in the field worrying about their children's future. They are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal an universal human conflict - the difficulty to choose between your dear ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the well-being of planet and mankind itself.
Director: Mikael Kristersson, Åsa Ekman, Oscar HedinLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 70 min
16:00 - 17:24
Worlds of Water. 3 Episodes
Documentary series "Worlds of Water" is a fascinating journey to Finland’s aquatic nature. These documentaries present director Petteri Saario’s deep dive into the wonders of water with his 24-year-old son Antti. Father and son travel through historical waterways and peek underwater to the world of fish. They discuss the importance of water and its enchanting forms, study the fascinating myths of water and enjoy its healing powers. Join them on a unique journey to the wonders of Finnish waters!
Director: Petteri SaarioLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 84 min
14:00 - 15:45
Overland
"Overland" unfolds in a world increasingly driven by technology and routine, where we are losing touch with nature and our primal spirit is fading. Immersed in remote deserts, mountains, and grasslands, three extraordinary people from contrasting cultures practice the ancient art of falconry to wake their inner wild. However, in their quests to connect to the natural world, Lauren, Giovanni, and Khalifa must overcome social rejection, vanishing traditions, dwindling wilderness, elusive prey and the complicated instincts of their falcons, eagles, and hawks. The stories in Overland offer a stunning cinematic journey across four continents that twists and turns like nature itself, bridging ancient to modern, east to west, and earth to sky.
Director: Elisabeth Haviland James, Revere La NoueLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 105 min
18:00 - 19:28
Wild Horses - A Tale from the Puszta
Meet Dot, the little wild horse foal! She is a Przewalski’s horse: the only true wild horse species of the world. Although the origin of this endangered species is in Mongolia, Dot lives in the heart of Europe, on the grassy plains of Hungary called the “Puszta”. 25 years ago some were introduced here and the horses instantly formed an organic connection with this magical land with rich and unique wildlife. Today this is one of the largest Przewalski’s horse herds on the planet. This is their story.
Director: Zoltan TörökLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 88 min
11:00 - 11:50
Santa´s wild Home
Snow blankets the trees and green lights dance in a star-filled sky. During the festive season, our thoughts turn to a distant winter wonderland, far to the north. It’s a place best known to outsiders as Lapland, the magical home of Santa Claus. But far from the festive lights, Santa’s home is even more enchanting than you may realize. It is an ever-changing wilderness, filled with extraordinary wild creatures. During the long, dark winter, musk ox stand sentinel in the biting wind, golden eagles fight over prey and great grey owls roam huge distances through the frozen forest. When summer arrives, the sun never sets as reindeer migrate north, owls race to breed and bears and wolves fight over food. This beautiful, lyrical portrayal of Santa’s wild home makes for ideal festive viewing and will leaving you wondering whether a place so magical truly exists.
Director: Matt HamiltonLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
Saturday
18.09.2021
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Under Control
"Under Control" shows human action from the insect's level. The botanical garden is an artificial nature-like installation where each room has its own microclimate. Despite human attempts to control the environment, pests are spreading and eating the plants all over the garden. The gardeners are fighting against the pests with cryptobugs; thousands of ladybirds that are specially bred for killing and imported from abroad. But since cryptobugs alone don’t solve the problem, the gardeners have to rely on the help of an exterminator who kills the pests as well as all the other insects with poisons. As the remedies get harsher, the bystanders will have to face the consequences.
Director: Ville KoskinenLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 18 min
10:30 - 11:22
Leopard Legacy
Filmed over more than three years, filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp share yet another incredible true wildlife story. Living along the banks of the Luangwa, they closely followed a courageous, devoted mother leopard and her two newborn cubs as they each faced their own challenges in the African wilderness. From life-threatening encounters with hyenas, baboons and other leopards, to the remarkable triumphs of their most spectacular and unique hunts, and the unexpected losses that bring tragedy to their lives - the two generations of leopards bring a real, intimate story of what truly happens in the fascinating life of such a gracious, elusive big cat.
Director: Will Steenkamp, Lianne SteenkampLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
15:00 - 16:16
The Shamans´ Nightmare
A very personal cinematic journey to four indigenous peoples and their shamans unexpectedly turns into an exciting testimony to the struggle for survival of these unique nomad cultures, whose physical and cultural future is existentially threatened by climate change. To give these people a voice and tell about their destiny, the director Natalie Halla has travelled to the most extreme places of the world and spent time with the Waorani Indians in Ecuador, the sea nomads in Malaysia, the Himba in Namibia and the reindeer nomads in Mongolia.
Director: Natalie HallaLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 76 min
11:30 - 12:49
Wolves at the Borders
Wolves are back! Having been exterminated in the Broumov region in the Czech Republic more than two hundred years ago, wolves have been slowly returning to the countryside and changing the lives of the locals. The documentary “Wolves at the Borders” looks at the contradictory reactions to their arrival: while for some people they offer hope of making the nature healthier, others see them only as enemies killing helpless farm animals who cannot be effectively protected. Are we able to coexist with wolves and with each other?
Director: Martin PávLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 79 min
13:30 - 14:20
A young Crane´s long Journey
Documentary filmmaker Jouni Hiltunen has filmed Cranes for many years. He decides to once again follow the Crane family's summer in Finland from early spring to the birth of a Crane chick. After the nesting he packs his car and leaves on a so-called ”birds road” with migrating Cranes, towards Hungary and finally to Israel, to find out if there is a winter paradise for migrating Cranes somewhere. The film about the year of the Cranes and the migration journey expands to a story about the coexistence of a man and nature in a rapidly changing world.
Director: Jouni HiltunenLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
15:30 - 15:58
Of Mosquitoes and Men
Some of this planet's mysteries we get. It fills us with great pride and satisfaction. But how can we claim some deeper insight into the ways of the world if we don't fully understand ourselves, never mind the humble mosquito? “Of Mosquitoes and Men“ is a contemplative journey into the habitat of creatures both large and small, fathered by the Estonian nature and its fertile soil. The mosquito has assumed the role of the smallest of the living beings, and man the most important of them all. This documentary delves deep into the symbiosis between the two and into our mission on this blue sphere we call home.
Director: Madis LigemaLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 28 min
11:00 - 11:29
Hempman vs. the State
“Hempman vs. the State“ is a story of a man who wants to cultivate cannabis openly and without asking for permissions. Authorities are not in favor of his endeavor, and although the fields are blooming, many obstacles stand in the way of the harvest. The film goes through a decade-long story of Finnish farmer Timo Haara’s quest to grow cannabis and its ramifications, showing us what civil disobedience and fighting against the system can do to a man.
Director: Sampsa HuttunenLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 29 min
12:00 - 12:52
Corona - The Pandemic and the Pangolin
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause devastation, governments and their peoples search for the source of the deadly infection. But the questions may have uncomfortable answers. There is nothing new about viruses that jump from animals to humans causing life-threatening diseases. Some suspect the armadillo-like pangolin may be the source of COVID-19, but the issue is really how the illegal and brutal wildlife trade, which sees slaughtered animals packed on top of one another, bodily fluids mixing, has created a potential for deadly viruses to jump species. For decades experts have called on governments to connect human, animal and environmental health. Conservationist Jane Goodall, marine activist Paul Watson and other experts discuss their perspectives - and the lessons we need to learn.
Director:Location: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
14:00 - 14:39
TripleF***
The spirit of a movement that sometimes reminds us of our young revolutionary self, who still believed that he/she could change the world. This green filmed documentary mirrors the global situation and the diversity of climate change related activism. 6 continents, 3 dozen filmmakers, countless activists and seasoned scientists. It is not about just one person but about many who stand up. The topic of climate activism itself as a protagonist takes us on a global journey to activists' lives and forms a dialogue within. Very personal but not private - to protect the activists' privacy, sensitive topics are woven in as a fictional part. In this film, the history of climate change related activism is highlighted. In its core spirit of a holistic approach, the project is been realized similarly to its topic of the climate activists' movement: independent, global, green.
Director: Simona TheoharovaLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 39 min
16:30 - 17:10
Dunes of Nõva
Nõva region appears to be one of most beautiful areas in Estonia. Singing dunes, sand and living nature is viewed through a year, from summer to summer.
Director: Aare BaumerLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 40 min
13:00 - 13:53
Fast Fashion: The Real Price of Low-Cost Fashion
Creating a dress for ten euros in Europe, in less than a fortnight. It’s not only possible, but it’s becoming the norm. Since the fashion industry went down the path of fast-fashion, it’s always both faster and cheaper - no matter the consequences. Let’s start with those suffering the most: the workers. They work between 12 and 15 hours a day for salaries less than half the legal minimum wage. And in abominable working conditions. Chemical products in textile factories often poison the workers and local residents. According to the brands, they no longer have time to create. In order to satisfy an insatiable consumer appetite, copying the competition’s models makes things go faster and cheaper - even if it means risking a court case now and then.
Director: Gilles Bovon, Edouard PerrinLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 53 min
11:00 - 11:52
Snow Leopards and Friends
New-born snow leopard cubs peer blinking from a small cave on a Tibetan hillside. Their eyes are blue, full of innocent curiosity. We see their world as they grow up, and we follow their mother in a unique portrait of their world, full of beauty and humor. A strange looking Tibetan fox catches a pika. A beautiful lynx family bask in the sun. A Tibetan bear teaches her cub how to find food, and they roll together down the hillside for the fun of it. Strange birds and mammals add to the snow leopard cub’s story. Friendship, cooperation and care is evident throughout the snow leopard cub’s world.
Director: Xi Zhinong, Zi Ding, Da Jie, Qu PengLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
15:00 - 15:50
Dehesa - Forest of the Iberian Lynx EP 2
A Spanish imperial eagle flies over forests scorched by the heat. This is one of the most endangered eagle species in the world and it is exclusive to the Iberian Peninsula. Now the eagle must hunt to provide for its chicks. Rabbits are scarce these days and it will have to find other prey such as wood pigeons. Not far away, an Iberian lynx takes her cubs for a walk. They are big enough to come along as she explores new territories. Their adventure leads to a meeting with another lynx family - and a violent feud between these species. The acorns ripen, attracting hordes of cranes from Northern Europe that settle in the fields to eat them and stay for the winter. This is the most sought-after fruit of the Dehesa. Farmers bring herds of Iberian pigs here to get their fill. The shorter nights make way for new characters; this time, the spotlight shines on predators, including eagle owls and genets, that control the rodent population.
Director: Joaquín Gutierrez AchaLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
14:00 - 14:50
Dehesa - Forest of the Iberian Lynx EP 1
One of the world’s most exclusive and unique forests grows in Southern Europe, shaped by the hand of man over hundreds of years and pampered by the Mediterranean climate. This is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, where, even today, humans and wildlife coexist. This is the Dehesa. Many predators patrol this forest: huge eagles, lynx and mongooses vie for the same prey - the wild rabbit, whose survival depends on its exceptional fertility. Rabbits might be the most important animal in this ecosystem: the Iberian lynx, the most threatened feline in the world, depends on them. We will have the privilege of seeing how this endangered lynx hunts and provides for its cubs.
Director: Joaquín Gutierrez AchaLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
13:00 - 13:52
Darwin in Times Square - The Science of Urban Evolution
We live in the age of cities. New roads, buildings and urban sprawl eat up natural habitats, sending plant and animal populations in worrying decline. How does nature react to this loss of biodiversity? Could cities also harbor a possible solution? Could they turn into incubators for nature to develop never-before-seen and fast responses to human encroachment? New gene research provides unexpected insights into Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Our film accompanies teams of researchers from the USA and Europe who unravel the secret of urban evolution, showing that plants and animals adapt much faster than previously believed possible. It turns out, in our seemingly inhospitable cities, for the first time we can see Darwin’s predictions on the origins of species unfold, almost in real time. A fascinating science documentary showing new frontiers for life on Earth.
Director: Martin Gronemeyer, Michaela KirstLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
12:00 - 12:52
Lost - Birds of the Countryside
Europe's fields and pastures were once a paradise for birds. Lapwings and larks provided the soundtrack for the farmers at work. But the birds are disappearing all over the continent. In Europe, the number of farmland birds has dropped by 17 percent since 1990. This loss is clearly a sign that something is wrong. In this documentary, the filmmaker Heiko De Groot shows why birds are disappearing and what consequences this could have for us humans. Last but not least, even our food security could depend on them.
Director: Heiko De GrootLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
16:00 - 17:29
The Magical Four - Our Seasons
Our seasons shape the cycle of life in dramatic ways. Spring, summer, autumn or winter – every season is unique, each presenting nature with new challenges. The constant change in living conditions demands extraordinary feats from animals and plants throughout the year. And the survival strategies of the squirrel, fox and many others could hardly be more fascinating. The film takes us on a breathtaking journey of discovery through indigenous nature: after the privations of winter, life explodes in spring, the heat of summer is followed by the harvest season of autumn. Extraordinary animal stories – some humorous, some dramatic, but always with an eye to the season’s special features – bring the magic of our seasons to life.
Director: Annette Scheurich, Alexandra Sailer, Steffen Sailer, Klaus ScheurichLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 89 min
Sunday
19.09.2021
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0017:00 - 18:10
Earth: Muted
At the bottom of Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province of China, bees are going extinct due to extensive use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work hard in the field worrying about their children's future. They are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal an universal human conflict - the difficulty to choose between your dear ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the well-being of planet and mankind itself.
Director: Mikael Kristersson, Åsa Ekman, Oscar HedinLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 70 min
15:30 - 16:45
Animals
A birdcall-imitation-seminar, an animal-telepathy-hotline, a beauty contest for pedigree dogs. Wherever the film goes: animals are sorted, studied, and processed; and yet they remain enigmatic and absent. What's inside the animals? The closer they are examined, the less certainty remains. And as the animals increasingly disappoint, a melancholic perplexity sets in. The idea was to find an answer within the animal, but instead people lost a sense of themselves. Encounters in faux fur costumes offer a last hope for warmth and dissolution. A film that acts like a shimmering mirror, in which we painfully recognise ourselves.
Director: Jonas SpriestersbachLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 75 min
13:30 - 15:15
Overland
"Overland" unfolds in a world increasingly driven by technology and routine, where we are losing touch with nature and our primal spirit is fading. Immersed in remote deserts, mountains, and grasslands, three extraordinary people from contrasting cultures practice the ancient art of falconry to wake their inner wild. However, in their quests to connect to the natural world, Lauren, Giovanni, and Khalifa must overcome social rejection, vanishing traditions, dwindling wilderness, elusive prey and the complicated instincts of their falcons, eagles, and hawks. The stories in Overland offer a stunning cinematic journey across four continents that twists and turns like nature itself, bridging ancient to modern, east to west, and earth to sky.
Director: Elisabeth Haviland James, Revere La NoueLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 105 min
12:00 - 13:28
Wild Horses - A Tale from the Puszta
Meet Dot, the little wild horse foal! She is a Przewalski’s horse: the only true wild horse species of the world. Although the origin of this endangered species is in Mongolia, Dot lives in the heart of Europe, on the grassy plains of Hungary called the “Puszta”. 25 years ago some were introduced here and the horses instantly formed an organic connection with this magical land with rich and unique wildlife. Today this is one of the largest Przewalski’s horse herds on the planet. This is their story.
Director: Zoltan TörökLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 88 min
11:00 - 11:52
My Dragon River
A humble river in north-west Germany shows itself to be a natural paradise, where Banded Demoiselle dragonflies flutter on sapphire wings over the water-meadows, foxes bring up their young, and beavers build their lodges. Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell and Georg Rüppell film these butterfly-like flying jewels in breathtaking slow-motion- and macro sequences, both above and below the water. They also reveal the fishing techniques of the kingfishers, and of the dippers, the only songbirds that swim and hunt underwater. This riverine life is fill of mini-dramas, from the mating flights of the male dragonflies to the consummation of their love-wheels and the precision of the females’ egg-laying; from the leaping, insect-grabbing attacks of the frogs to their own desperate attempts to escape the sudden assaults of swimming grass snakes.
Director: Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell, Georg RüppellLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
10:00 - 10:52
Leopard Legacy
Filmed over more than three years, filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp share yet another incredible true wildlife story. Living along the banks of the Luangwa, they closely followed a courageous, devoted mother leopard and her two newborn cubs as they each faced their own challenges in the African wilderness. From life-threatening encounters with hyenas, baboons and other leopards, to the remarkable triumphs of their most spectacular and unique hunts, and the unexpected losses that bring tragedy to their lives - the two generations of leopards bring a real, intimate story of what truly happens in the fascinating life of such a gracious, elusive big cat.
Director: Will Steenkamp, Lianne SteenkampLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
14:00 - 14:51
Nature’s Networks
It is considered an essential aspect of life, deemed immensely valuable and worthy of the utmost protection by scientists - but what does the term "biodiversity" really mean? And why is it necessary? “Nature’s Networks“ presents compelling, unusual insights into the natural world, from Borneo to Brazil and from Tasmania and Kenya to the fjords of Norway. The various inhabitants of these varied habitats may appear significantly different, but they all share at least one feature. From hummingbirds to orangutans, every species has a clearly defined role in nature's complex network, a network built on a foundation of variety - or, more accurately, biodiversity.
Director: Susanne Lummer, Andreas RibaritsLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
12:00 - 12:52
Rare Survivors - China's Iconic Wildlife
Mist swirls around the base of Shanghai’s skyline. From the city, tigers and monkeys seem as unreal and distant as dragons and mermaids emerging through the mist. Yet they do exist, as rare survivors in an extraordinary and diverse landscape. From snow leopards to wild horses, and from alligators to elephants, China’s iconic wildlife is a lot more than just pandas. This is a film about rare survivors, some well know and much loved, and others important and iconic animals filmed for the first time. They are all charming, fascinating, and fragile.
Director:Location: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
11:00 - 11:52
Monkeys and more. Our closest Relatives
We all know how different we are from the rest of the primates or perhaps we don’t? This film is a familiar and funny wildlife documentary. A journey around the world to find the shared traits between monkeys, apes and us. Just like humans, our wild cousins work hard and enjoy lazing around. They take care of their own and allow themselves to be cared for. They fight each and love each other, too. They teach, learn and share their knowledge. They suffer and know how to enjoy life. The maddest trip is about to begin. Will you join us?
Director: Oriol Cervera Subirats, Juan Luis Santos, Juan Antonio Rodríguez LlanoLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
13:00 - 13:52
The Frozen Kingdom of the Snow Leopard
Set in the remote mountains of China and Tibet, this film follows the perilous existence of a female snow leopard and her two young, who are less than a year old, in a valley of stunning beauty with a dazzling diversity of wildlife. Two photographer brothers came upon this lost valley in 2016 and were amazed to find it home to a dense population of snow leopards in a relatively small territory. Their discovery led to this exceptional film about an elusive big cat that is rarely caught on camera.
Director: Frédéric LarreyLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
Tuesday
21.09.2021
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What a colorful World
‘What a Colorful World’ takes the viewer on a journey around the globe to discover a host of colourful creatures that make our world such a spectacularly diverse place. Seen from space, Earth may appear mainly green and blue, but a closer look reveals the true abundance of hues and shades caused by light refraction. From giant humpback whales to tiny dancing spiders, from pink flamingos to blue-footed boobies, from strange-looking mandrills to frantic fiddler crabs – we explore what makes our globe such a kaleidoscope of color.
Director:Location: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 50 min
18:00 - 18:50
Pumas - Legends of the Ice Mountains EP 1: Birth
This film tells the dramatic story of Solitaria, a puma mother with four cubs. The place is Torres del Paine, a mountain massif in Patagonia, deep in the south of Chile. It is an intimate family portrait: moving, sad, joyful. We follow Solitaria through the difficulties of early motherhood, as she develops techniques to outsmart the guanacos, her preferred prey, to be able and feed her young that depend on her. But ultimately, tragedy strikes.
Director: Dereck Joubert, Beverly JoubertLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 50 min
17:00 - 17:52
Leopard Legacy
Filmed over more than three years, filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp share yet another incredible true wildlife story. Living along the banks of the Luangwa, they closely followed a courageous, devoted mother leopard and her two newborn cubs as they each faced their own challenges in the African wilderness. From life-threatening encounters with hyenas, baboons and other leopards, to the remarkable triumphs of their most spectacular and unique hunts, and the unexpected losses that bring tragedy to their lives - the two generations of leopards bring a real, intimate story of what truly happens in the fascinating life of such a gracious, elusive big cat.
Director: Will Steenkamp, Lianne SteenkampLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 52 min
16:00 - 16:48
Nature´s Nurseries
Mammals, fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even plants, they all share the same goal in life – to reproduce successfully. All of the species of this planet have developed their own special strategy to raise their offspring. In addition to the astounding and fascinating strategies in nature, the viewer gains a fundamental insight: It doesn´t matter whether a species has only one or a few or even a thousand „kids“: At the end of the life of the parent-animals, on average only two specimens of the offspring remain. If there are fewer, the species dies out. If there are more, the result is overpopulation.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 48 min
Wednesday
22.09.2021
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0019:00 - 19:52
Leopard Legacy
Filmed over more than three years, filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp share yet another incredible true wildlife story. Living along the banks of the Luangwa, they closely followed a courageous, devoted mother leopard and her two newborn cubs as they each faced their own challenges in the African wilderness. From life-threatening encounters with hyenas, baboons and other leopards, to the remarkable triumphs of their most spectacular and unique hunts, and the unexpected losses that bring tragedy to their lives - the two generations of leopards bring a real, intimate story of what truly happens in the fascinating life of such a gracious, elusive big cat.
Director: Will Steenkamp, Lianne SteenkampLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 52 min
12:50 - 14:06
The Shamans´ Nightmare
A very personal cinematic journey to four indigenous peoples and their shamans unexpectedly turns into an exciting testimony to the struggle for survival of these unique nomad cultures, whose physical and cultural future is existentially threatened by climate change. To give these people a voice and tell about their destiny, the director Natalie Halla has travelled to the most extreme places of the world and spent time with the Waorani Indians in Ecuador, the sea nomads in Malaysia, the Himba in Namibia and the reindeer nomads in Mongolia.
Director: Natalie HallaLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 76 min
11:25 - 12:13
Nature´s Nurseries
Mammals, fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even plants, they all share the same goal in life – to reproduce successfully. All of the species of this planet have developed their own special strategy to raise their offspring. In addition to the astounding and fascinating strategies in nature, the viewer gains a fundamental insight: It doesn´t matter whether a species has only one or a few or even a thousand „kids“: At the end of the life of the parent-animals, on average only two specimens of the offspring remain. If there are fewer, the species dies out. If there are more, the result is overpopulation.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 48 min
18:00 - 19:28
Wild Horses - A Tale from the Puszta
Meet Dot, the little wild horse foal! She is a Przewalski’s horse: the only true wild horse species of the world. Although the origin of this endangered species is in Mongolia, Dot lives in the heart of Europe, on the grassy plains of Hungary called the “Puszta”. 25 years ago some were introduced here and the horses instantly formed an organic connection with this magical land with rich and unique wildlife. Today this is one of the largest Przewalski’s horse herds on the planet. This is their story.
Director: Zoltan TörökLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 88 min
17:00 - 17:50
Pumas - Legends of the Ice Mountains EP 2: Rebirth
This is the story of Cazadora, a young female puma and the only survivor of her mother Solitaria’s four cubs. Cazadora has survived all alone in the Torres del Paine mountains of Patagonia. But she still has a lot to learn – how to hunt successfully, and how to avoid conflicts with other pumas. Eventually, Cazadora makes her old family territory her home again. And she is carrying on her mother’s heritage, as she gives birth to four cubs as well.
Director: Dereck Joubert, Beverly JoubertLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 50 min
16:00 - 16:52
The Otter, a Legend returns
In Western Europe the otter drastically declined in numbers and even completely disappeared from The Netherlands. This was mainly due to hunting, loss of habitat, pollution and traffic collisions. But the Dutch set the example by investing in their water quality and restoring the habitat of the otter to enable its reintroduction. People now have a chance to spot the otter as it spreads through The Netherlands and even ventures into the heart of a city. Unique footage provides an insight into the life of the illusive Eurasian otter and the measures that are needed to protect this ambassador of the freshwater environment.
Director: Hilco JansmaLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 52 min
18:00 - 19:00
Rebirth
The goal of “Rebirth“ is not to “tell“ the audience about nature's knowledge and environmental protection responsibilities, but to lead the audience into this magnificent small universe, let all beings tell their own stories, and then return to the comparison between the audience and the natural life. It hopes to express the universal "humanity" through the film. Humans and insects are actually indistinguishable beings. If people can see what they are like from the habits and appearances of creatures, they may be able to empathize and share this wonderful experience. Small universe, big world.
Director: Chia-Lung ChanLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 60 min
17:00 - 17:50
What a colorful World
‘What a Colorful World’ takes the viewer on a journey around the globe to discover a host of colourful creatures that make our world such a spectacularly diverse place. Seen from space, Earth may appear mainly green and blue, but a closer look reveals the true abundance of hues and shades caused by light refraction. From giant humpback whales to tiny dancing spiders, from pink flamingos to blue-footed boobies, from strange-looking mandrills to frantic fiddler crabs – we explore what makes our globe such a kaleidoscope of color.
Director:Location: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 50 min
Thursday
23.09.2021
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0009:35 - 10:27
Feast of the Killer Whales
Didier Noirot is known as one of the world’s greatest underwater cameramen and has several prestigious awards for his natural history film camerawork. Over the past 40 years, Didier has been driven by his passion for marine life, but now he’s set himself a new challenge, to film what is perhaps the largest known gathering of marine mammals in the world; hundreds of killer whales in pursuit of shoals of herring. Today, these killer whales are faced with unexpected competition from humpback whales, who began appearing in this Arctic region only a few years ago, driven by a lack of food resources in the Atlantic Ocean, their natural habitat. In the midst of this changing ecosystem, we journey to the heart of the Norwegian fjords, where Didier Noirot’s aim is to take us as close as we can get to these giants of the Arctic so we can witness first-hand their new behavior and hunting activity, which has never been captured on film before.
Director: Alexis Barbier-Bouvet, Didier NoirotLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 52 min
19:00 - 20:28
Wild Horses - A Tale from the Puszta
Meet Dot, the little wild horse foal! She is a Przewalski’s horse: the only true wild horse species of the world. Although the origin of this endangered species is in Mongolia, Dot lives in the heart of Europe, on the grassy plains of Hungary called the “Puszta”. 25 years ago some were introduced here and the horses instantly formed an organic connection with this magical land with rich and unique wildlife. Today this is one of the largest Przewalski’s horse herds on the planet. This is their story.
Director: Zoltan TörökLocation: Narva Vaba Lava
Running time: 88 min
17:00 - 18:03
When the Snow melts down
Two people. Two different worlds. He is a hermit and a reindeer herder. His home is mountains and taiga covered with snow. He depends only on himself, because his life is absolute freedom. She is a resident of Rome, devotes almost all of her time to work and manages to travel around Italy only during short leisure breaks. Their worlds are so different that it seems that there can be nothing in common between them. But they both know how quickly life is changing.
Director: Aleksei GolovkovLocation: Narva Vaba Lava
Running time: 63 min
19:00 - 20:15
Animals
A birdcall-imitation-seminar, an animal-telepathy-hotline, a beauty contest for pedigree dogs. Wherever the film goes: animals are sorted, studied, and processed; and yet they remain enigmatic and absent. What's inside the animals? The closer they are examined, the less certainty remains. And as the animals increasingly disappoint, a melancholic perplexity sets in. The idea was to find an answer within the animal, but instead people lost a sense of themselves. Encounters in faux fur costumes offer a last hope for warmth and dissolution. A film that acts like a shimmering mirror, in which we painfully recognise ourselves.
Director: Jonas SpriestersbachLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 75 min
18:00 - 18:52
The Otter, a Legend returns
In Western Europe the otter drastically declined in numbers and even completely disappeared from The Netherlands. This was mainly due to hunting, loss of habitat, pollution and traffic collisions. But the Dutch set the example by investing in their water quality and restoring the habitat of the otter to enable its reintroduction. People now have a chance to spot the otter as it spreads through The Netherlands and even ventures into the heart of a city. Unique footage provides an insight into the life of the illusive Eurasian otter and the measures that are needed to protect this ambassador of the freshwater environment.
Director: Hilco JansmaLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 52 min
17:00 - 17:52
My Dragon River
A humble river in north-west Germany shows itself to be a natural paradise, where Banded Demoiselle dragonflies flutter on sapphire wings over the water-meadows, foxes bring up their young, and beavers build their lodges. Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell and Georg Rüppell film these butterfly-like flying jewels in breathtaking slow-motion- and macro sequences, both above and below the water. They also reveal the fishing techniques of the kingfishers, and of the dippers, the only songbirds that swim and hunt underwater. This riverine life is fill of mini-dramas, from the mating flights of the male dragonflies to the consummation of their love-wheels and the precision of the females’ egg-laying; from the leaping, insect-grabbing attacks of the frogs to their own desperate attempts to escape the sudden assaults of swimming grass snakes.
Director: Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell, Georg RüppellLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 52 min
Friday
24.09.2021
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0019:00 - 20:10
Earth: Muted
At the bottom of Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province of China, bees are going extinct due to extensive use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work hard in the field worrying about their children's future. They are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal an universal human conflict - the difficulty to choose between your dear ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the well-being of planet and mankind itself.
Director: Mikael Kristersson, Åsa Ekman, Oscar HedinLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 70 min
18:00 - 18:50
Santa´s wild Home
Snow blankets the trees and green lights dance in a star-filled sky. During the festive season, our thoughts turn to a distant winter wonderland, far to the north. It’s a place best known to outsiders as Lapland, the magical home of Santa Claus. But far from the festive lights, Santa’s home is even more enchanting than you may realize. It is an ever-changing wilderness, filled with extraordinary wild creatures. During the long, dark winter, musk ox stand sentinel in the biting wind, golden eagles fight over prey and great grey owls roam huge distances through the frozen forest. When summer arrives, the sun never sets as reindeer migrate north, owls race to breed and bears and wolves fight over food. This beautiful, lyrical portrayal of Santa’s wild home makes for ideal festive viewing and will leaving you wondering whether a place so magical truly exists.
Director: Matt HamiltonLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 50 min
17:00 - 17:48
Nature´s Nurseries
Mammals, fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even plants, they all share the same goal in life – to reproduce successfully. All of the species of this planet have developed their own special strategy to raise their offspring. In addition to the astounding and fascinating strategies in nature, the viewer gains a fundamental insight: It doesn´t matter whether a species has only one or a few or even a thousand „kids“: At the end of the life of the parent-animals, on average only two specimens of the offspring remain. If there are fewer, the species dies out. If there are more, the result is overpopulation.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 48 min
19:00 - 19:52
My Dragon River
A humble river in north-west Germany shows itself to be a natural paradise, where Banded Demoiselle dragonflies flutter on sapphire wings over the water-meadows, foxes bring up their young, and beavers build their lodges. Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell and Georg Rüppell film these butterfly-like flying jewels in breathtaking slow-motion- and macro sequences, both above and below the water. They also reveal the fishing techniques of the kingfishers, and of the dippers, the only songbirds that swim and hunt underwater. This riverine life is fill of mini-dramas, from the mating flights of the male dragonflies to the consummation of their love-wheels and the precision of the females’ egg-laying; from the leaping, insect-grabbing attacks of the frogs to their own desperate attempts to escape the sudden assaults of swimming grass snakes.
Director: Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell, Georg RüppellLocation: Narva Vaba Lava
Running time: 52 min
17:00 - 18:10
Earth: Muted
At the bottom of Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province of China, bees are going extinct due to extensive use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work hard in the field worrying about their children's future. They are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal an universal human conflict - the difficulty to choose between your dear ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the well-being of planet and mankind itself.
Director: Mikael Kristersson, Åsa Ekman, Oscar HedinLocation: Narva Vaba Lava
Running time: 70 min
Saturday
25.09.2021
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0014:00 - 15:10
Earth: Muted
At the bottom of Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province of China, bees are going extinct due to extensive use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work hard in the field worrying about their children's future. They are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal an universal human conflict - the difficulty to choose between your dear ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the well-being of planet and mankind itself.
Director: Mikael Kristersson, Åsa Ekman, Oscar HedinLocation: Mihkli Farm Museum (Saaremaa)
Running time: 70 min
18:00 - 18:50
What a colorful World
‘What a Colorful World’ takes the viewer on a journey around the globe to discover a host of colourful creatures that make our world such a spectacularly diverse place. Seen from space, Earth may appear mainly green and blue, but a closer look reveals the true abundance of hues and shades caused by light refraction. From giant humpback whales to tiny dancing spiders, from pink flamingos to blue-footed boobies, from strange-looking mandrills to frantic fiddler crabs – we explore what makes our globe such a kaleidoscope of color.
Director:Location: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 50 min
14:00 - 14:48
Nature´s Nurseries
Mammals, fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even plants, they all share the same goal in life – to reproduce successfully. All of the species of this planet have developed their own special strategy to raise their offspring. In addition to the astounding and fascinating strategies in nature, the viewer gains a fundamental insight: It doesn´t matter whether a species has only one or a few or even a thousand „kids“: At the end of the life of the parent-animals, on average only two specimens of the offspring remain. If there are fewer, the species dies out. If there are more, the result is overpopulation.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 48 min
18:00 - 19:15
Animals
A birdcall-imitation-seminar, an animal-telepathy-hotline, a beauty contest for pedigree dogs. Wherever the film goes: animals are sorted, studied, and processed; and yet they remain enigmatic and absent. What's inside the animals? The closer they are examined, the less certainty remains. And as the animals increasingly disappoint, a melancholic perplexity sets in. The idea was to find an answer within the animal, but instead people lost a sense of themselves. Encounters in faux fur costumes offer a last hope for warmth and dissolution. A film that acts like a shimmering mirror, in which we painfully recognise ourselves.
Director: Jonas SpriestersbachLocation: Võrgukuur (Nõva)
Running time: 75 min
Wednesday
21.09.2022
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0011:00 - 11:35
The Door was Open
Places evolve endlessly. They are alternatively lairs, shelters, factories or homes. In this man-made environment, abandoned and left on its own, from now on one can hear birds whistling.
Director: Olivier MarinLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 35 min
14:00 - 14:52
Born in the Rockies Ep 1: First Steps
The Rocky Mountains are the second largest mountain range on Earth - 4,800 kilometers in length from the American Southwest to the Canadian Arctic. An ever-expanding population is placing increased pressure on wilderness, making the Rockies one of the last refuges for North America’s most iconic species, including Rocky mountain bighorn sheep, Greater sandhill cranes, grizzly bears and American bison. In this film we introduce the vast diversity of the Rockies through the eyes of our animal families. From early spring to late summer we follow our new mothers through the early days of raising a family. With every step our youngsters take there are lessons to learn, lessons that will determine their survival as adults.
Director: Joseph PontecorvoLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
15:00 - 15:52
Hippo King
An old, battle-scarred hippo bull was once a giant king amongst the largest concentration of hippos on this planet. Normally hidden under water or concealed in the cover of darkness, the hippo is an animal cloaked in mystery and largely misunderstood. For the first time ever, we get to know the true character of one of the planet’s largest land mammals, as we reveal the life story of a charismatic hippo bull in Africa’s Luangwa Valley, starting from the day he was born. His story spans thirty-five years - from being a small, vulnerable hippo calf trying to find his place in a world amongst giants, to how he survived the cruel blows nature handed out to him. From losing his mother, and being ousted from his natal pod, to facing the harshest of droughts, and being threatened by predators. But as he learnt to walk the ancient pathways of survival in the Luangwa Valley, he grew into a stronger, more confident bull and was headed for a path of war. Two decades later, he was finally ready for the ultimate battle - that made him King.
Director: Will & Lianne SteenkampLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
16:00 - 16:52
Mamody, the last Baobab Digger
In the southwest of Madagascar, the Mahafaly plateau is an extremely arid land. Here, the rains fall only a few times a year. In these very difficult living conditions, the inhabitants of the small village of Ampotaka found a unique solution to store water.
Director: Cyrille CornuLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
18:00 - 18:50
Wolverine - One Tough Mother
Glamourized by Hollywood and villainized by ancestral folklore, the wolverine is both a fabled icon of the Northern Hemisphere and a modern-day superhero. Our heroine, Freya, is a 3-year-old female wolverine – shy and elusive and rarely caught on camera, she inhabits a mysterious and unforgiving world – deep in the rugged wilderness of Scandinavia. Freya thrives in this remote and remorseless habitat. Wolverines have true grit and an iron-clad attitude; never be daunted, never back down. The tougher the going, the tougher she gets. As we journey through a tumultuous year in her life, Freya’s story unfolds in a visual feast. Set against the ever-changing backdrop of her compelling environment, her narrative is a chronological rollercoaster of events, often motivated food, always driven by the visual march of the seasons. Each seasonal transition brings with it a new set of challenges, opportunities and milestones which she must face head on. This battle isn’t just for her, but the survival of her species.
Director: Alexander SlettenLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
12:00 - 12:50
Raccoons, survival Warriors
While all over the world many species are under threat, raccoons are experiencing unprecedented expansion. Behind their innocent and cute look, hides an outstanding survivor's temperament, capable of anything to feed and defend themselves. Omnivorous, curious, intelligent, and super-adaptable, raccoons turn out to be really good at overcoming every challenge they are confronted with. But how did these crafty critters manage to survivre in both the wild and urban environment? What make them so smart? And how did they flourish so quickly throughout the world? Over the course of a summer, this film follows a litter of young raccoons from birth to adulthood, on the wild island of Georgia, USA. Close-ups, subjective camera and underwater footage take us as close as possible to these pint-size creatures to reveal how they have become such amazingly adaptable animals.
Director: Emma BausLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
10:00 - 10:53
Superbirds - The Secret Life Of Tits
Tits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
Director: Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen HundertmarkLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 53 min
Thursday
22.09.2022
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0019:30 - 20:31
Nest
A photographer approaches the Delta to take a series of portraits of the islanders. Hand in hand with one of them, little by little, he makes his way into the population and internalizes the fight they carried out a few years ago against a mega-housing enterprise that tried to destroy them, their houses, their jobs and their lifestyle. During his stay there, sharpening his gaze, he goes deeper into the conflict and internalizes it as he continues in his portraits, adding gazes that are not only social, but also environmental and political, human, in the sentimental in the day to day of that forgotten and punished population. In this follow-up, the documentary opens many doors that allow to know in detail the problems suffered and their current state, not only to know the open wounds, but also to transcend their resistance and their fight for permanence.
Director: Miguel Angel BarattaLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 61 min
18:00 - 19:05
Ijswee
IJswee is a documentary film about an iceskateclub, a village and the warm winters. In the film we follow Oringers, the inhabitants of Odoorn, through the winter. The Oringer all experience in IJswee (longing for ice) in their own way. Christmas tree farmer Manus thinks that we will never be able to skate again and that the winters will disappear. Treasurer Henk tells about the days of 15 centimeters of ice. Raoul, son of a farmer, had to stop skating in Assen after the ice rink closed, now he keeps an eye on the weather app every day in winter. Yet they also feel hope, ex-farmer and ex-chairman Jans is confident that there will one day be another Elfstedentocht. His grandson Jeroen, who became a Drents skate champion as a child, is sure that he will stand on the ice as board member in the near future.
Director: Okki PoortvlietLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 65 min
14:30 - 15:31
The Price of seeing a Show
There are still a lot of dolphinariums and dolphin parks around the world, though animal rights advocates have spent a long time to ban the circuses with animals. In dolphinariums marine mammals are separated from their families, causing them to develop some form of depression. Marine mammals in these centers are subjected to intense physical, nutritional, and psychological pressure to learn the shows they are about to perform. Life expectancy for dolphins in artificial habitats is very low, and they are at risk of extinction due to stress and skin diseases caused by the presence of chlorine in the water. This cycle and the great mafia will continue to exist as long as there is a demand for tickets for these carnivals by the people.
Director: Mehdi GhazanfariLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 61 min
16:00 - 17:15
Shepherds of the Earth
The story of the film takes place in Turkana, Kenya. This unique place is also known as the Cradle of Humankind where the discoveries of prehistorical human origins are made. The area is nowadays inhabited by the indigenous pastoral tribe called Daasanach. Our main character Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Spanish ethnobiologist arrive to Turkana to study the relationship between humans and nature. He becomes friends with a tribe member Job Nasak, who guides him into the daily life of the village. Alvaro gets impressed by traditional fables and animal stories of the tribe and he is asked to collect them for the first ever Daasanach language story book. The stories paint a picture of vivid nature and a rich wildlife. But while exploring the national park Alvaro discovers dry and bare landscape with hardly any animals left. So starts a fascinating story from the Cradle of Humankind, a story of the nomadic people’s struggle to survive, of poaching, nature reserve rangers, tribal wars over scarce resources and prehistoric fossils. The two worlds of biologists and the tribe members collide revealing the values of wildlife and nature for both.
Director: Iiris HärmäLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 75 min
13:00 - 14:11
Amuka - The Awakening
The Democratic Republic of Congo could feed almost 1 in 2 people on Earth. Yet one in six Congolese people suffer from hunger. Yet one in two Congolese suffers from moderate acute malnutrition. Yet agriculture accounts for 70% of the population there. Faced with this paradox, the peasants regroup in agricultural cooperatives. A handful of them share their daily lives with us, that of all those they represent. Even if they don't know each other, live thousands of hundreds of kilometers from each other, participate in different agricultural sectors, their voices resonate in this powerful, sensitive and sincere documentary.
Director: Antonio SpanòLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 71 min
19:15 - 20:07
12th Hour
Much of our population currently lives with hopeful delusions about climate change. These delusions, many of which are built in by evolution, hamper our ability to meaningfully address the problem. Emmy-nominated actor David Morse narrates the brutally honest 12th Hour, with insight from noted evolutionary biologists, climate scientists, cognitive researchers and psychologists. Our brains evolved to solve short-term challenges for our survival. Climate change is a long-term challenge to our survival. Can we bridge the gap between these modes of thinking?
Director: Susan KuceraLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
18:00 - 18:59
Return Sasyk to the Sea
This documentary tells the story of how Soviet leaders performed bizarre irrigation experiments on Sasyk Estuary at the Black Sea in Southern Ukraine. This created a slow moving eco disaster which continues today. Sasyk has become ground zero for a battle between eco activists vs. poachers, bureaucrats and corrupt officials.
Director: Andrea OdezynskaLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 59 min
16:00 - 16:53
Black and White Big Cats
This documentary immerses us alongside French photographer Laurent Baheux, in the heart of the African bush, chasing three fascinating felines. The lion, king of the savannah, powerful, majestic and vulnerable at the same time. The graceful cheetah, so quick but so fragile. The leopard, a silent and ghostly predator. All around, a delicate and threatened nature. Laurent is ready to seize what it has to offer him, he expects nothing in particular, always humble in his relationship with animals. He captures the beauty of the moment, the play of lights, the harmony of the scenes.
Director: Mathieu Le LayLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 53 min
15:00 - 15:51
Pantanal - Brazil's Natural Miracle
Pantanal is Brazilian and means just swamp. Simple the name but the largest swamp area on earth in the heart of South America! This million years old landscape is criss-crossed by rivers, lakes and flooded plains. A Noah's Ark for jaguars, giant otters, hyacinth macaws, anteaters and many other well-known and mysterious animals and plants. They were brought to the brink of extinction by the 1970s. But extensive protective measures brought them back. So today large families of giant otters can be seen chasing through the rivers. Caimans were once killed for their skin by the millions. Today they can be seen everywhere. The world's largest parrots had almost disappeared. Today, 90 percent of all hyacinth macaws in the world live in the Pantanal. With them over 400 other bird species. Ever since jaguar hunting was banned, the kings of the wild have been hunting everywhere again.
Director: Christoph and Almut HauschildLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
17:00 - 18:35
About the Forest
Sweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 95 min
14:00 - 14:51
Bee Wild!
They’re some of our most effective pollinators. Living in bright wooden huts, producing honey and wax. Busy, beneficial and closely tied to human needs. But how do bees live in the wild? And why did they disappear from our forests? This film portrays the wild life of the honey bee in our forests and it shows the important role of this creature in nature.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
19:00 - 20:40
Pleistocene Park
Seeking no one’s help and asking nobody’s permission, Russian geophysicist Sergey Zimov and his son Nikita are gathering any large wooly beast they can get their hands on, and transporting them, by whatever low budget means they can contrive, to the most remote corner of Siberia. They call their project Pleistocene Park. The goal: restore the Ice Age “mammoth steppe” ecosystem and avoid a catastrophic feedback loop leading to runaway global warming. Sergey would know: fifteen years ago he published in the journal Science showing that frozen arctic soils contain twice as much carbon as the earth’s atmosphere. These soils are now starting to melt. Can two Russian scientists stave off a worst case scenario of global environmental catastrophe and reshape humanity’s relationship with the natural world?
Director: Luke Griswold-TergisLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 100 min
12:00 - 12:56
Duty of Care - The Climate Trials
"Duty of Care - The Climate Trials" is the inside story of Roger Cox, the lawyer who initiated ground-breaking legal actions against the Dutch government and oil giant Shell. The result: two landmark rulings that sent shockwaves through political offices and corporate boardrooms around the world, and led to a wave of international climate cases. This is a character-driven journey through the highs and lows of his trials, featuring a cast of creative lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens pursuing what they see as the legal showdown of the century. Their story is set against interviews with world-leading experts on the principles of justice that can be applied to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Director: Nic BalthazarLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 56 min
10:00 - 10:56
Duty of Care - The Climate Trials
"Duty of Care - The Climate Trials" is the inside story of Roger Cox, the lawyer who initiated ground-breaking legal actions against the Dutch government and oil giant Shell. The result: two landmark rulings that sent shockwaves through political offices and corporate boardrooms around the world, and led to a wave of international climate cases. This is a character-driven journey through the highs and lows of his trials, featuring a cast of creative lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens pursuing what they see as the legal showdown of the century. Their story is set against interviews with world-leading experts on the principles of justice that can be applied to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Director: Nic BalthazarLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 56 min
Friday
23.09.2022
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Mamody, the last Baobab Digger
In the southwest of Madagascar, the Mahafaly plateau is an extremely arid land. Here, the rains fall only a few times a year. In these very difficult living conditions, the inhabitants of the small village of Ampotaka found a unique solution to store water.
Director: Cyrille CornuLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
14:00 - 14:29
Legacy of a Legend
Hannu Hautala is a pioneer in nature photography and a controversial role model who became an international success. Now he talks intimately about his career and death. In magical filming sessions at Hautala's home in Kuusamo, his own classic photos danced with his bare skin. The filmmakers fulfill Hautala's devout wish and take him once again to the forest to take his last eagle pictures. But is nature photography art? What is their significance in this time: are they always on the side of nature conservation? What would we know about nature without pictures - nature pictures can save the world!
Director: Juha MetsoLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 29 min
20:00 - 21:30
Beyond The White
Beyond the polar circle in Northern Russia, a few dozen people still live in their traditional houses surrounded by water, stone and sand. Nature provides for them, mainly the White sea. Cut off from vital infrastructure, almost forgotten by regional governance, these people have to cope with their everyday struggle and live in accordance with the raw forces of nature. Their hamlets seem to head toward the fate of so many other villages all over Russia: a slow but inevitable extinction.
Director: Evgeny KalachikhinLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 90 min
13:00 - 13:53
Waves Beneath The Water
The Netherlands and water, a country and an elemental force inextricably interwoven. The mills, pumping stations, polders and dykes are famous and magnets for tourists. The country is surrounded by water in a captivating landscape of ditches, canals, ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. As much as 16% of the country is fresh water and a third of the land lies below sea level. But... what do we actually know about the aquatic lives of the fresh water residents? In this blue chip film, we see protagonists that are hidden from us in our daily lives, because they live under water. The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of those below the water surface is fascinating. The diversity of species, sizes, behaviour, colours and shapes is enormous. This is a world that you think only exists on coral reefs, until you find a farm ditch and put your head underwater.
Director: Arthur de BruinLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 53 min
15:00 - 16:17
Life of a Mutt
“Life of a mutt” tells true, intimate and authentic stories from the perspective of stray dogs. Combining documentary material with hand drawn animation and voice over, we are crossing between genres and forms of documentary, fiction and animation, giving our silent heroes a voice. The inspiration comes from ancient Indian, Russian, and British stories. Combining seven destinies/scenes in one life story- from birth to a birth again, we witness their dignifying fight for survival.
Director: Tanja BrzakovićLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 77 min
12:00 - 12:35
The Door was Open
Places evolve endlessly. They are alternatively lairs, shelters, factories or homes. In this man-made environment, abandoned and left on its own, from now on one can hear birds whistling.
Director: Olivier MarinLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 35 min
18:00 - 18:51
The Great Swamp
Vello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
17:00 - 17:23
Lumi and Leenu
Silvi is one of the last Estonians to keep two cows in her home farm for her own use. Unfortunately Silvi sees no future in keeping the cows, so the time has come to send her two beloved animals away.
Director: Mirjam MatiisenLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 23 min
10:00 - 10:52
The Elephant & the Termite
Together, elephants and termites create waterholes. This is the remarkable story of the relationship between Africa’s largest and smallest and the unique biodiversity that they support. It is the story of a seasonal African waterhole in southern Kenya - an extraordinary web of interdependency and the circle of life as never seen before. All from the perspective of a cast of animal characters that live at elephant toe-nail height. It is the intriguing story of their struggle to survive and raise families before their world turns to dust.
Director: Mark Deeble, Victoria StoneLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
11:00 - 11:28
Water Celery
In the purple dawn, there is a water celery stall in the corner of a quiet road with no one comes and goes. Among them a woman with her gray hair tied high, yellow rubber boots on her feet and tied up with a large green apron. A black rubber tub is held between the hips of both sides and enters the water celery field just behind it. This is how the day of the stall keeper, who remained the last one stall in Eonyang-eupseong walled town, begins. The camera stops in front of her, who could pass by, and watches closely at the noble work scene.
Director: Yu So-youngLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 28 min
16:30 - 16:50
Young Guns
When the students of Helgenæs Boarding School go hunting together, it is primarily about what gets shot and who shoots it. But for these youngsters, who seem to find themselves somewhere in between childhood and adulthood, the hunt is a focal point for a shared culture as well as an identity. It becomes their way of tackling the transition into adulthood.
Director: Andreas ThaulowLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 20 min
15:30 - 15:59
Reaching the Birds
Birds were always there, but always at a distance. Grounded on earth, small groups of humans search and examine. Each with their own unique and specialized techniques in the attempt of bringing the volatile creatures closer. In the structure of one day, we follow different sets of people interacting with birds. We pay attention to a scouting group of young enthusiasts and their nets, binoculars, telescopes, calm figures on the lookout. We also follow the meticulous procedures of taxidermy – the rinsing, sewing and general care of carcasses – as well as the strict, epistemological measuring of caught birds, noting travelled distance, size and weight with precise methods.
Director: David KrøyerLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 29 min
17:00 - 17:29
Preserve
Hassan Sakanjah is a village man who has dedicated his life to protecting the environment of his region in Hormozgan province. He tells the story of his love for nature and the troubles of this path.
Director: Hadis JanbozorgiLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 29 min
14:00 - 15:03
FoodForest
In this documentary, landscape architect Louis De Jaeger outlines how food forests can save the earth from suffocation, resuscitate communities, make agriculture sustainable, reverse global warming and still produce an abundance of food. This film takes you on a trip through the secret gardens of food forest pioneers. From urban jungles to healing projects in psychiatric institutions. Because nature appears to be the best healer for the social, psychological and ecological scars that people have caused. If we give nature's resilience a chance, together we can create a new Eden. In fact, pieces of this new paradise are already visible.
Director: Louis De JaegerLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 63 min
13:00 - 13:52
Africa, GMOs and The Gates Foundation
Across Africa, lobbyists, philanthropists and businessmen are working to open up the continent to GMO food. They argue that GMOs can provide a miracle solution to two of Africa’s biggest problems: famine and malaria. The main promoters is Bill Gates, now the head of the most powerful philanthropic foundation in history. This film reveals how the Gates Foundation became the main funder of genetic experiments underway on the continent and investigates the possible repercussions of their actions.
Director: Jean-Baptiste RenaudLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
12:00 - 12:52
Food Fraud: An Organised Crime
Horse-meat labelled as beef. Honey diluted with cheap sugar syrups. Counterfeit extra-virgin olive oil. Food crime is a multi-billion dollar industry affecting everything from the cheapest to most expensive ingredient. 10% of what we eat is thought to be adulterated. “What we know for sure is that food fraud is growing exponentially and it’s more and more worrying,” states one consumer advocate. In this investigation, we follow the food fraud brigades and reveal how little we know about what we’re eating. From the olive groves of Italy to the fish markets of France and the abattoirs of Poland, this film takes you on a culinary journey of a very different kind. A global investigation into the counterfeit food industry.
Director: Bénédicte DelfautLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
15:00 - 15:52
The Song of a Little Owl
Two little owls have formed a new life amidst the noise of the forest and away from the eyes of rivals. As humans enter the forest, the lives of owls and other creatures change...
Director: Mehdi NourmohammadiLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
16:00 - 16:59
Return Sasyk to the Sea
This documentary tells the story of how Soviet leaders performed bizarre irrigation experiments on Sasyk Estuary at the Black Sea in Southern Ukraine. This created a slow moving eco disaster which continues today. Sasyk has become ground zero for a battle between eco activists vs. poachers, bureaucrats and corrupt officials.
Director: Andrea OdezynskaLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 59 min
19:30 - 20:44
Colonies in Conflict
“Colonies in Conflict” is a feature documentary that examines the state of wild bees in a fast-developing Indian landscape. In a first ever, migratory honeybees Apis dorsata (Rockbees) – native to South Asia – have been filmed extensively over various landscapes. Alarmed by reports warning about an insect apocalypse, filmmaker Rajani Mani is concerned about the way in India honeybee hives are often sprayed with pesticides exterminating the entire colony. And thus begins her journey of exploration – learning about wild bees and what is killing them. The film asks the critical question, if in the future these wild bees disappear entirely what would it mean to the farmer, the forest, and to the future generations of humans? The filmmaker discovers that we have very little time to reverse the catastrophe we started, but every species stopped from extinction would help hedge our bets in an uncertain future.
Director: Rajani ManiLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 74 min
13:00 - 13:59
Kingdom of Fish Ep 3 - The Sea
Sweden’s coastline is as long as the the globe is round. The Baltic and the North Sea once teemed with cod, haddock, herring, shellfish, flat fish, mackerel and eel. But today most of the seas have been fished out. The scarcity of predatory fish has destroyed marine ecosystems. The question asked in this film is how a rich and orderly country like Sweden can allow this to happen. But there’s hope. You’ll be surprised by the many odd inhabitants still down there. And did you know that 300-kilo bluefin tunas have made their comeback in Swedish seas?
Director: Björn TjärnbergLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 59 min
12:00 - 12:59
Kingdom of Fish Ep 2 - The Lake
Swedes love their lakes, and have hundreds of thousands to choose from for relaxation. But few people have visited below the surface. Here the voracious pike rules the ecosystem. The fastest predator of the north, it attacks at the speed of a cheetah. Lakes are merely places where water rests for while, during its endless cycle. Treating lakes as separate units has led to a disconnection. The threatened European eel, once ubiquitous in inland Sweden, can no longer reach its feeding grounds in the lakes. Nor can it escape the lakes and reach the Sargasso sea to spawn.
Director: Björn TjärnbergLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 59 min
11:00 - 11:59
Kingdom of Fish Ep 1 - The River
Let’s travel through Sweden under water! Our journey starts in cold mountain creeks meandering through the breathtaking arctic landscape. The creeks gradually form large rivers as they flow toward the sea. Here we find the arctic char, trout, grayling and – king of the river – the salmon. All graceful species of salmonoid fish dependent on free-flowing rapids and clear, oxygenated water. But something has happened. Our Swedish rivers are no longer moving forward… Hydropower plants are everywhere, producing fossil-free energy. But what happens to our ecosystems when the river’s energy is captured and transferred to power cables?
Director: Björn TjärnbergLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 59 min
17:05 - 17:57
Twitchers
In France, as in other countries around the world, a handful of ornithologists, amateurs and professionals alike, compete for whoever sees the most different species of birds. They are called twitchers. This film offers to follow the course of some of them, in particular on the island of Ouessant in Finistère (French Brittany), the annual climax of the competition, but also in their everyday life. While some are retired or have an occupation easily compatible with their singular passion, others must juggle a family life, a job, an urban environment.
Director: Baptiste MagontierLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
Saturday
24.09.2022
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0011:00 - 11:52
Critical Kingdoms - Stories of Hope - Ep 2: Indonesia
Rainforests on the island of Borneo are under extreme threat from deforestation, mainly from the palm oil industry. As palm oil farming endangers the habitats of the gibbon, Chanee Kalaweit fights for their survival. He has established a rescue center for injured animals, and started broadcasting success stories, calls for help and pop music in a spectacular mix via his own Borneo-based radio station, Radio Kalaweit. The Indonesian Island of Sulawesi is home to another endangered species, the Black Crested Macaque. Having endured centuries of deforestation and hunting, the last few thousand macaques now live in the protected area of Tangkoko National Park. Even so, they’re still being poached for their meat, a longstanding local delicacy. But a new generation of native conservationists, like Reyni Palohonen, have started raising awareness of the macaques’ plight among the local people, getting them to rethink their dietary traditions. Under the sea, Manta Rays were over-hunted for their gills to supply the black market in China. Dolphins have been captured as circus entertainment. Sarah Lewis of the Indonesian Manta Project and Femke den Haas, a Dutch activist, are both fighting for these animals’ return to the oceans.
Director: Max Serio, Radek HouskaLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
15:00 - 15:50
Quest for Silence
Boris Jollivet, an acoustic ecologist, with whom we travel through remote areas so as to know whether there are still silent zones in France, zones where the noise of men is not heard any longer.
Director: Julien GuéraudLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
12:00 - 12:57
Hog Haven
Erin is a compelling woman in her thirties who is completely driven by her life’s mission to rescue, rehabilitate and adopt out as many pigs as possible. The story of Erin's physical and mental recovery from a tragic event forms the emotional core of her transformation into the co-founder of one of the largest and most respected pig sanctuaries in the country.
Director: Christopher BeesonLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 57 min
16:00 - 16:52
Osprey: Sea Raptor
Wade into a saltwater marsh along the Connecticut River to witness the heartwarming reunion of two ospreys who’ve been mates for a decade. Witness their highs and lows over a single summer, as they raise their chicks and dodge a host of predators.
Director: Jacob SteinbergLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
14:00 - 14:51
Secrets in the Scat
You are about to embark on an unusual journey, filled with - dare we say it - wild animal do-do, dung, poop. We call it scat. Wildlife biologist Dr Scott Burnett, aka Scat Man, will be your guide. You’ll get to see some pretty extraordinary scat shapes, textures and sizes without having to sniff it; meet the wild animals responsible for these wonderful gifts; and follow scientists as they dig deep to unravel the mysteries of nature. Find out why the thing you thought was most disgusting is as valuable as gold!
Director: Ruth BerryLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
13:00 - 13:54
Goodbye to All Cats
Goodbye to All Cats is about the movement to remove all domestic cats from a unique island ecosystem, New Zealand, to protect endangered endemic species, including many ground nesting birds and the short-tailed bat, which evolved without mammalian predators, and are crucial to the unique biodiversity of New Zealand. But New Zealanders are among the most passionate cat lovers in the world with one of the highest levels of cat ownership and a strong belief in a cat's right to roam freely for its own well-being. Goodbye to All Cats explores the issues and arguments surrounding this emotional battle.
Director: Susan Bloom, Caleigh WaldmanLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 54 min
17:00 - 17:43
Journey of the Pelicans - an Australian Outback Mystery
Australian pelicans are strange birds. Not only because of their appearance, but above all because of their unusual way of life. Most of the time they live quite peacefully in the coastal regions, but when the inland desert is flooded every 5, 10 or even 20 years, tens of thousands fly there to breed. This film follows the Australian pelicans on their journey to their breeding grounds in the Outback and shows the challenges they face during the breeding season. It reveals a habitat that is generally considered an inhospitable desert yet plays a major role for the waterbirds.
Director: Annette ScheurichLocation: Small hall (Lihula)
Running time: 43 min
15:00 - 15:52
Eyes of the Orangutan
Wildlife Tourism is a multi billion-dollar global industry. However, these profits don’t come without costs. In front of our eyes, and behind closed doors, lie stories of abuse and cruelty. This is the first in-depth investigation into orangutan tourism, a journey into the dark heart of Amusement Parks, zoos, and ‘protected’ rainforests. Orangutans might be star attractions here, but at what cost to the animal?
Director: Chris Scarffe, Will Foster-GrundyLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
11:30 - 12:41
Bright Green Lies
"Bright Green Lies" investigates the change in focus of the mainstream environmental movement, from its original concern with protecting nature, to its current obsession with powering an unsustainable way of life. The film exposes the lies behind the notion that solar, wind, hydro, biomass, or green consumerism will save the planet. Tackling the most pressing issues of our time will require us to look beyond the mainstream technological solutions and ask deeper questions about what needs to change.
Director: Julia BarnesLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 71 min
16:00 - 17:19
Mata
Towards the expansion of the eucalyptus plantations, a farmer and an indigenous leader stand as resistance and reveal the impact of monoculture on the environment and traditional ways of life. The enemy can also be green.
Director: Ingrid Fadnes & Fabio NascimentoLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 79 min
13:00 - 13:55
USA: Climate Wars
In the United States, temperatures are breaking all records. Last summer in California, temperatures reached almost 60° in some areas. The rain no longer falls, water is scarce and fires ravage the entire west of the state every year. But despite this, many Americans continue living as if nothing is happening. According to one poll, 56% of Republican voters do not believe in global warming and talk of climate change deeply divides the country. And, as always, the poor pay the highest price.
Director: Ibar Aibar & Fanny ChauvinLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 55 min
10:00 - 11:23
Atomic Hope - Inside The Pro-Nuclear Movement
At the start of the 21st century, a small group of people began to publicly advocate for nuclear energy. They believe that nuclear energy is the fastest way to combat climate change. This is the story of their movement and their controversial perspectives on nuclear power.
Director: Frankie FentonLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 83 min
14:00 - 14:53
Uprooted: The Olympic Tribe
What does the world’s most watched mega-event and a remote indigenous community have in common? A forgotten indigenous tribe in Borneo is devastated by a merciless logging company. Determined to find the source of the forces ravaging their ancestral forest, three tribesmen take matters into their own hands and follow their stolen wood. This sets in motion a quest which will take them to Tokyo, and the heart of the Olympic phenomenon.
Director: Balint ReveszLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 53 min
12:30 - 13:43
Chickens, Virus and Us
The filming started in March 2020, at the onset of the coronavirus crisis, when the family with three children took refuge in the mountainous countryside. While surfing the internet, the children found a video from an Asian food market. The camera wanders through the marketplace showing dissected snakes, rats and other wild animals. They were shocked to see overcrowded cages full of cats and dogs destined for slaughter. Reflections on the relationship between humans and animals lead them to the decision to adopt chickens and keep them as their local neighbours do. These chickens are pitiful; they look different from the hens in the neighbours' garden, and the children want to find out why. They want to know why people treat animals so ruthlessly. Day after day, the children learn to take care of their chickens. They get advice from experienced breeders. As they reflect on the differences between domestic and industrial livestock, the amateur chicken breeders discover that there are politicians proposing a ban on caged hen breeding in the Czech Republic.
Director: Filip RemundaLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 73 min
14:00 - 14:26
Neighbourhood of Infinity
Birds colonise an urban neighbourhood. People rediscover vital animal instincts. Together they show how confinement might be the ultimate measure of freedom.
Director: Mark AitkenLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 26 min
11:00 - 12:04
Houbara
Houbara or Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueni) is one of the favorite birds among hunters and falconers in the Persian Gulf countries. Unfortunately in the last decades, bustard’s hunting and catching alive have caused a drastic reduction in its population and as a result, it is now considered one of the most vulnerable and endangered species in Iran and all over the world.
Director: Fathollah Amiri, Nima AsgariLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 64 min
15:00 - 16:26
Lagunaria
A voice from a distant future tells of a vanished city that was once among the most famous in the world, Venice. Amidst legends, rituals and hearsay, the narrator describes its daily life made of boats and its profound relationship with the lagoon surrounding it. Did that city ever exist? Was it ever inhabited, or it was a tourist park? Did it survive the floods and the plagues? Have its inhabitants managed to find a new way of living together? The result is an indefinite tale of a unique and fragile city that is slowly disappearing, suffocated by tourism and threatened by climate change that is putting its survival at risk.
Director: Giovanni PellegriniLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 86 min
Sunday
25.09.2022
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0010:30 - 10:56
Neighbourhood of Infinity
Birds colonise an urban neighbourhood. People rediscover vital animal instincts. Together they show how confinement might be the ultimate measure of freedom.
Director: Mark AitkenLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 26 min
11:00 - 11:35
The Door was Open
Places evolve endlessly. They are alternatively lairs, shelters, factories or homes. In this man-made environment, abandoned and left on its own, from now on one can hear birds whistling.
Director: Olivier MarinLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 35 min
12:00 - 12:51
Bee Wild!
They’re some of our most effective pollinators. Living in bright wooden huts, producing honey and wax. Busy, beneficial and closely tied to human needs. But how do bees live in the wild? And why did they disappear from our forests? This film portrays the wild life of the honey bee in our forests and it shows the important role of this creature in nature.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
13:00 - 13:50
Raccoons, survival Warriors
While all over the world many species are under threat, raccoons are experiencing unprecedented expansion. Behind their innocent and cute look, hides an outstanding survivor's temperament, capable of anything to feed and defend themselves. Omnivorous, curious, intelligent, and super-adaptable, raccoons turn out to be really good at overcoming every challenge they are confronted with. But how did these crafty critters manage to survivre in both the wild and urban environment? What make them so smart? And how did they flourish so quickly throughout the world? Over the course of a summer, this film follows a litter of young raccoons from birth to adulthood, on the wild island of Georgia, USA. Close-ups, subjective camera and underwater footage take us as close as possible to these pint-size creatures to reveal how they have become such amazingly adaptable animals.
Director: Emma BausLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
14:00 - 14:53
Waves Beneath The Water
The Netherlands and water, a country and an elemental force inextricably interwoven. The mills, pumping stations, polders and dykes are famous and magnets for tourists. The country is surrounded by water in a captivating landscape of ditches, canals, ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. As much as 16% of the country is fresh water and a third of the land lies below sea level. But... what do we actually know about the aquatic lives of the fresh water residents? In this blue chip film, we see protagonists that are hidden from us in our daily lives, because they live under water. The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of those below the water surface is fascinating. The diversity of species, sizes, behaviour, colours and shapes is enormous. This is a world that you think only exists on coral reefs, until you find a farm ditch and put your head underwater.
Director: Arthur de BruinLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 53 min
15:00 - 15:52
The Elephant & the Termite
Together, elephants and termites create waterholes. This is the remarkable story of the relationship between Africa’s largest and smallest and the unique biodiversity that they support. It is the story of a seasonal African waterhole in southern Kenya - an extraordinary web of interdependency and the circle of life as never seen before. All from the perspective of a cast of animal characters that live at elephant toe-nail height. It is the intriguing story of their struggle to survive and raise families before their world turns to dust.
Director: Mark Deeble, Victoria StoneLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
16:00 - 16:51
The Great Swamp
Vello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
17:00 - 18:04
Houbara
Houbara or Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueni) is one of the favorite birds among hunters and falconers in the Persian Gulf countries. Unfortunately in the last decades, bustard’s hunting and catching alive have caused a drastic reduction in its population and as a result, it is now considered one of the most vulnerable and endangered species in Iran and all over the world.
Director: Fathollah Amiri, Nima AsgariLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 64 min
10:00 - 10:54
Goodbye to All Cats
Goodbye to All Cats is about the movement to remove all domestic cats from a unique island ecosystem, New Zealand, to protect endangered endemic species, including many ground nesting birds and the short-tailed bat, which evolved without mammalian predators, and are crucial to the unique biodiversity of New Zealand. But New Zealanders are among the most passionate cat lovers in the world with one of the highest levels of cat ownership and a strong belief in a cat's right to roam freely for its own well-being. Goodbye to All Cats explores the issues and arguments surrounding this emotional battle.
Director: Susan Bloom, Caleigh WaldmanLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 54 min
12:45 - 13:45
Sounds of the South
Dutch musician Ruben Hein’s love for nature and wildlife has always been central to his creativity. When he decided to visit Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic, some of the wildest regions on the planet, he had no way to know how deeply the experience would impact him. Join Hein as he searches for inspiration for his next album as he ventures among some of the far south’s most surreal landscapes and iconic creatures.
Director: Hubert NeufeldLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 60 min
11:00 - 12:27
Extremadura. A Natural Paradise in Europe
The film will travel from the dense forests of the north, furrowed by violent torrents, to the vast steppe plains of the south where the bustard performs its amazing nuptial dance. It will take us to know an incredible mosaic of habitats and different ecosystems that enrich the wildest nature of Extremadura, the region of Western Europe with the highest percentage of areas of ornithological interest and with a third of its territory protected environmentally. And that has the largest extension in the world of an extraordinary ecosystem: the dehesa. It is because of the diversity of species that it hosts and because since time immemorial it is a unique environment where the natural and the cultural coexist, complementing each other, in harmony. It will be a trip with unique companions, some unique on the planet, such as the Iberian imperial eagle or the Iberian lynx; others so rare that they are in serious danger of extinction such as the black vulture or the black stork. We will enter spaces full of magic, works of art of Nature, like Monfragüe, an unparalleled natural environment because it hosts the largest and best-preserved patch of Mediterranean forest in the world, the world's largest concentration of birds associated with this type of forest and has been recognized by UNESCO as a Reserve of the Biosphere. Sierras, meadows, lagoons, forests, rivers, steppes... Extremadura is living land. Extremadura is the natural paradise of Europe.
Director: Carlos Pérez RomeroLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 87 min
14:00 - 15:35
Ode to Nature
"Ode to Nature" is a visually stunning journey through the nature of Germany, from the mountains and alpine pastures in the south to the coasts and the depths of the North and Baltic Seas. In between is a cinematic foray through steaming forests and shimmering moors, over rose-blossoming heaths and through the colorful cultural landscape surrounding villages and towns. The film shows these habitats from their most beautiful side, introduces well-known as well as unknown species and describes their dependence on the respective habitat. The film also reveals conservation problems and critically describes the current state of the environment on our doorstep. "Ode to Nature" leaves the viewer with enchanting and surprising views of our own environment and with the realization that it is not too late to preserve and restore our natural world.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 95 min
16:00 - 16:51
Cher and the loneliest Elephant
Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad is where Kaavan, dubbed the world’s loneliest elephant, has lived for over three decades. Many of these years have been spent chained and alone since his partner died in 2012. For highly social creatures such as elephant, the death of a partner can induce chronic grief and loneliness. This has left the great, proud creature with permanent scars from his chains, obesity and psychosis brought on by isolation and boredom. Kaavan’s ordeal is picked up on social media with videos and pictures of his lonely incarceration spreading. It comes to the attention of Rock superstar Cher, who herself has been trying to free an elephant in Los Angeles Zoo. Without hesitation, she pulls celebrity strings and connects people and charities to end Kaavan’s plight and set him free.
Director: Jonathan FinniganLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
Monday
26.09.2022
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0017:30 - 18:45
Shepherds of the Earth
The story of the film takes place in Turkana, Kenya. This unique place is also known as the Cradle of Humankind where the discoveries of prehistorical human origins are made. The area is nowadays inhabited by the indigenous pastoral tribe called Daasanach. Our main character Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Spanish ethnobiologist arrive to Turkana to study the relationship between humans and nature. He becomes friends with a tribe member Job Nasak, who guides him into the daily life of the village. Alvaro gets impressed by traditional fables and animal stories of the tribe and he is asked to collect them for the first ever Daasanach language story book. The stories paint a picture of vivid nature and a rich wildlife. But while exploring the national park Alvaro discovers dry and bare landscape with hardly any animals left. So starts a fascinating story from the Cradle of Humankind, a story of the nomadic people’s struggle to survive, of poaching, nature reserve rangers, tribal wars over scarce resources and prehistoric fossils. The two worlds of biologists and the tribe members collide revealing the values of wildlife and nature for both.
Director: Iiris HärmäLocation: Viljandi Centrum
Running time: 75 min
16:30 - 17:23
Waves Beneath The Water
The Netherlands and water, a country and an elemental force inextricably interwoven. The mills, pumping stations, polders and dykes are famous and magnets for tourists. The country is surrounded by water in a captivating landscape of ditches, canals, ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. As much as 16% of the country is fresh water and a third of the land lies below sea level. But... what do we actually know about the aquatic lives of the fresh water residents? In this blue chip film, we see protagonists that are hidden from us in our daily lives, because they live under water. The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of those below the water surface is fascinating. The diversity of species, sizes, behaviour, colours and shapes is enormous. This is a world that you think only exists on coral reefs, until you find a farm ditch and put your head underwater.
Director: Arthur de BruinLocation: Pärnu Pernova loodusmaja
Running time: 53 min
Tuesday
27.09.2022
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0019:00 - 20:35
About the Forest
Sweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 95 min
11:45 - 12:08
Lumi and Leenu
Silvi is one of the last Estonians to keep two cows in her home farm for her own use. Unfortunately Silvi sees no future in keeping the cows, so the time has come to send her two beloved animals away.
Director: Mirjam MatiisenLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 23 min
09:35 - 11:10
About the Forest
Sweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 95 min
17:30 - 19:05
Ode to Nature
"Ode to Nature" is a visually stunning journey through the nature of Germany, from the mountains and alpine pastures in the south to the coasts and the depths of the North and Baltic Seas. In between is a cinematic foray through steaming forests and shimmering moors, over rose-blossoming heaths and through the colorful cultural landscape surrounding villages and towns. The film shows these habitats from their most beautiful side, introduces well-known as well as unknown species and describes their dependence on the respective habitat. The film also reveals conservation problems and critically describes the current state of the environment on our doorstep. "Ode to Nature" leaves the viewer with enchanting and surprising views of our own environment and with the realization that it is not too late to preserve and restore our natural world.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Viljandi Centrum
Running time: 95 min
12:00 - 12:56
Duty of Care - The Climate Trials
"Duty of Care - The Climate Trials" is the inside story of Roger Cox, the lawyer who initiated ground-breaking legal actions against the Dutch government and oil giant Shell. The result: two landmark rulings that sent shockwaves through political offices and corporate boardrooms around the world, and led to a wave of international climate cases. This is a character-driven journey through the highs and lows of his trials, featuring a cast of creative lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens pursuing what they see as the legal showdown of the century. Their story is set against interviews with world-leading experts on the principles of justice that can be applied to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Director: Nic BalthazarLocation: Viljandi Centrum
Running time: 56 min
10:00 - 10:56
Duty of Care - The Climate Trials
"Duty of Care - The Climate Trials" is the inside story of Roger Cox, the lawyer who initiated ground-breaking legal actions against the Dutch government and oil giant Shell. The result: two landmark rulings that sent shockwaves through political offices and corporate boardrooms around the world, and led to a wave of international climate cases. This is a character-driven journey through the highs and lows of his trials, featuring a cast of creative lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens pursuing what they see as the legal showdown of the century. Their story is set against interviews with world-leading experts on the principles of justice that can be applied to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Director: Nic BalthazarLocation: Viljandi Centrum
Running time: 56 min
15:00 - 15:50
Raccoons, survival Warriors
While all over the world many species are under threat, raccoons are experiencing unprecedented expansion. Behind their innocent and cute look, hides an outstanding survivor's temperament, capable of anything to feed and defend themselves. Omnivorous, curious, intelligent, and super-adaptable, raccoons turn out to be really good at overcoming every challenge they are confronted with. But how did these crafty critters manage to survivre in both the wild and urban environment? What make them so smart? And how did they flourish so quickly throughout the world? Over the course of a summer, this film follows a litter of young raccoons from birth to adulthood, on the wild island of Georgia, USA. Close-ups, subjective camera and underwater footage take us as close as possible to these pint-size creatures to reveal how they have become such amazingly adaptable animals.
Director: Emma BausLocation: Pärnu Pernova loodusmaja
Running time: 50 min
Wednesday
28.09.2022
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0008:45 - 09:38
Waves Beneath The Water
The Netherlands and water, a country and an elemental force inextricably interwoven. The mills, pumping stations, polders and dykes are famous and magnets for tourists. The country is surrounded by water in a captivating landscape of ditches, canals, ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. As much as 16% of the country is fresh water and a third of the land lies below sea level. But... what do we actually know about the aquatic lives of the fresh water residents? In this blue chip film, we see protagonists that are hidden from us in our daily lives, because they live under water. The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of those below the water surface is fascinating. The diversity of species, sizes, behaviour, colours and shapes is enormous. This is a world that you think only exists on coral reefs, until you find a farm ditch and put your head underwater.
Director: Arthur de BruinLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 53 min
16:30 - 18:05
About the Forest
Sweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonLocation: Pärnu Pernova loodusmaja
Running time: 95 min
19:00 - 19:52
The Elephant & the Termite
Together, elephants and termites create waterholes. This is the remarkable story of the relationship between Africa’s largest and smallest and the unique biodiversity that they support. It is the story of a seasonal African waterhole in southern Kenya - an extraordinary web of interdependency and the circle of life as never seen before. All from the perspective of a cast of animal characters that live at elephant toe-nail height. It is the intriguing story of their struggle to survive and raise families before their world turns to dust.
Director: Mark Deeble, Victoria StoneLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 52 min
18:00 - 18:51
The Great Swamp
Vello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 51 min
17:00 - 17:51
Pantanal - Brazil's Natural Miracle
Pantanal is Brazilian and means just swamp. Simple the name but the largest swamp area on earth in the heart of South America! This million years old landscape is criss-crossed by rivers, lakes and flooded plains. A Noah's Ark for jaguars, giant otters, hyacinth macaws, anteaters and many other well-known and mysterious animals and plants. They were brought to the brink of extinction by the 1970s. But extensive protective measures brought them back. So today large families of giant otters can be seen chasing through the rivers. Caimans were once killed for their skin by the millions. Today they can be seen everywhere. The world's largest parrots had almost disappeared. Today, 90 percent of all hyacinth macaws in the world live in the Pantanal. With them over 400 other bird species. Ever since jaguar hunting was banned, the kings of the wild have been hunting everywhere again.
Director: Christoph and Almut HauschildLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 51 min
12:00 - 12:50
Raccoons, survival Warriors
While all over the world many species are under threat, raccoons are experiencing unprecedented expansion. Behind their innocent and cute look, hides an outstanding survivor's temperament, capable of anything to feed and defend themselves. Omnivorous, curious, intelligent, and super-adaptable, raccoons turn out to be really good at overcoming every challenge they are confronted with. But how did these crafty critters manage to survivre in both the wild and urban environment? What make them so smart? And how did they flourish so quickly throughout the world? Over the course of a summer, this film follows a litter of young raccoons from birth to adulthood, on the wild island of Georgia, USA. Close-ups, subjective camera and underwater footage take us as close as possible to these pint-size creatures to reveal how they have become such amazingly adaptable animals.
Director: Emma BausLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 50 min
19:00 - 20:35
About the Forest
Sweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 95 min
17:00 - 17:53
Superbirds - The Secret Life Of Tits
Tits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
Director: Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen HundertmarkLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 53 min
Thursday
29.09.2022
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0013:00 - 13:53
Superbirds - The Secret Life Of Tits
Tits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
Director: Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen HundertmarkLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 53 min
11:00 - 11:51
Bee Wild!
They’re some of our most effective pollinators. Living in bright wooden huts, producing honey and wax. Busy, beneficial and closely tied to human needs. But how do bees live in the wild? And why did they disappear from our forests? This film portrays the wild life of the honey bee in our forests and it shows the important role of this creature in nature.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 51 min
13:00 - 14:11
Bright Green Lies
"Bright Green Lies" investigates the change in focus of the mainstream environmental movement, from its original concern with protecting nature, to its current obsession with powering an unsustainable way of life. The film exposes the lies behind the notion that solar, wind, hydro, biomass, or green consumerism will save the planet. Tackling the most pressing issues of our time will require us to look beyond the mainstream technological solutions and ask deeper questions about what needs to change.
Director: Julia BarnesLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 71 min
11:30 - 12:22
Africa, GMOs and The Gates Foundation
Across Africa, lobbyists, philanthropists and businessmen are working to open up the continent to GMO food. They argue that GMOs can provide a miracle solution to two of Africa’s biggest problems: famine and malaria. The main promoters is Bill Gates, now the head of the most powerful philanthropic foundation in history. This film reveals how the Gates Foundation became the main funder of genetic experiments underway on the continent and investigates the possible repercussions of their actions.
Director: Jean-Baptiste RenaudLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 52 min
19:55 - 20:47
Africa, GMOs and The Gates Foundation
Across Africa, lobbyists, philanthropists and businessmen are working to open up the continent to GMO food. They argue that GMOs can provide a miracle solution to two of Africa’s biggest problems: famine and malaria. The main promoters is Bill Gates, now the head of the most powerful philanthropic foundation in history. This film reveals how the Gates Foundation became the main funder of genetic experiments underway on the continent and investigates the possible repercussions of their actions.
Director: Jean-Baptiste RenaudLocation: Viljandi Centrum
Running time: 52 min
20:00 - 21:35
About the Forest
Sweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonLocation: Vormsi Rahvamaja
Running time: 95 min
17:00 - 17:23
Lumi and Leenu
Silvi is one of the last Estonians to keep two cows in her home farm for her own use. Unfortunately Silvi sees no future in keeping the cows, so the time has come to send her two beloved animals away.
Director: Mirjam MatiisenLocation: Pärnu Pernova loodusmaja
Running time: 23 min
19:00 - 19:50
Wolverine - One Tough Mother
Glamourized by Hollywood and villainized by ancestral folklore, the wolverine is both a fabled icon of the Northern Hemisphere and a modern-day superhero. Our heroine, Freya, is a 3-year-old female wolverine – shy and elusive and rarely caught on camera, she inhabits a mysterious and unforgiving world – deep in the rugged wilderness of Scandinavia. Freya thrives in this remote and remorseless habitat. Wolverines have true grit and an iron-clad attitude; never be daunted, never back down. The tougher the going, the tougher she gets. As we journey through a tumultuous year in her life, Freya’s story unfolds in a visual feast. Set against the ever-changing backdrop of her compelling environment, her narrative is a chronological rollercoaster of events, often motivated food, always driven by the visual march of the seasons. Each seasonal transition brings with it a new set of challenges, opportunities and milestones which she must face head on. This battle isn’t just for her, but the survival of her species.
Director: Alexander SlettenLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 50 min
18:00 - 18:52
Hippo King
An old, battle-scarred hippo bull was once a giant king amongst the largest concentration of hippos on this planet. Normally hidden under water or concealed in the cover of darkness, the hippo is an animal cloaked in mystery and largely misunderstood. For the first time ever, we get to know the true character of one of the planet’s largest land mammals, as we reveal the life story of a charismatic hippo bull in Africa’s Luangwa Valley, starting from the day he was born. His story spans thirty-five years - from being a small, vulnerable hippo calf trying to find his place in a world amongst giants, to how he survived the cruel blows nature handed out to him. From losing his mother, and being ousted from his natal pod, to facing the harshest of droughts, and being threatened by predators. But as he learnt to walk the ancient pathways of survival in the Luangwa Valley, he grew into a stronger, more confident bull and was headed for a path of war. Two decades later, he was finally ready for the ultimate battle - that made him King.
Director: Will & Lianne SteenkampLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 52 min
17:00 - 17:52
Born in the Rockies Ep 1: First Steps
The Rocky Mountains are the second largest mountain range on Earth - 4,800 kilometers in length from the American Southwest to the Canadian Arctic. An ever-expanding population is placing increased pressure on wilderness, making the Rockies one of the last refuges for North America’s most iconic species, including Rocky mountain bighorn sheep, Greater sandhill cranes, grizzly bears and American bison. In this film we introduce the vast diversity of the Rockies through the eyes of our animal families. From early spring to late summer we follow our new mothers through the early days of raising a family. With every step our youngsters take there are lessons to learn, lessons that will determine their survival as adults.
Director: Joseph PontecorvoLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 52 min
12:00 - 12:53
Superbirds - The Secret Life Of Tits
Tits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
Director: Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen HundertmarkLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 53 min
19:00 - 19:51
Bee Wild!
They’re some of our most effective pollinators. Living in bright wooden huts, producing honey and wax. Busy, beneficial and closely tied to human needs. But how do bees live in the wild? And why did they disappear from our forests? This film portrays the wild life of the honey bee in our forests and it shows the important role of this creature in nature.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 51 min
17:00 - 17:50
Raccoons, survival Warriors
While all over the world many species are under threat, raccoons are experiencing unprecedented expansion. Behind their innocent and cute look, hides an outstanding survivor's temperament, capable of anything to feed and defend themselves. Omnivorous, curious, intelligent, and super-adaptable, raccoons turn out to be really good at overcoming every challenge they are confronted with. But how did these crafty critters manage to survivre in both the wild and urban environment? What make them so smart? And how did they flourish so quickly throughout the world? Over the course of a summer, this film follows a litter of young raccoons from birth to adulthood, on the wild island of Georgia, USA. Close-ups, subjective camera and underwater footage take us as close as possible to these pint-size creatures to reveal how they have become such amazingly adaptable animals.
Director: Emma BausLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 50 min
12:00 - 12:56
Duty of Care - The Climate Trials
"Duty of Care - The Climate Trials" is the inside story of Roger Cox, the lawyer who initiated ground-breaking legal actions against the Dutch government and oil giant Shell. The result: two landmark rulings that sent shockwaves through political offices and corporate boardrooms around the world, and led to a wave of international climate cases. This is a character-driven journey through the highs and lows of his trials, featuring a cast of creative lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens pursuing what they see as the legal showdown of the century. Their story is set against interviews with world-leading experts on the principles of justice that can be applied to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Director: Nic BalthazarLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 56 min
10:00 - 10:56
Duty of Care - The Climate Trials
"Duty of Care - The Climate Trials" is the inside story of Roger Cox, the lawyer who initiated ground-breaking legal actions against the Dutch government and oil giant Shell. The result: two landmark rulings that sent shockwaves through political offices and corporate boardrooms around the world, and led to a wave of international climate cases. This is a character-driven journey through the highs and lows of his trials, featuring a cast of creative lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens pursuing what they see as the legal showdown of the century. Their story is set against interviews with world-leading experts on the principles of justice that can be applied to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Director: Nic BalthazarLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 56 min
Friday
30.09.2022
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0011:30 - 12:21
Bee Wild!
They’re some of our most effective pollinators. Living in bright wooden huts, producing honey and wax. Busy, beneficial and closely tied to human needs. But how do bees live in the wild? And why did they disappear from our forests? This film portrays the wild life of the honey bee in our forests and it shows the important role of this creature in nature.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Mihkli Farm Museum (Saaremaa)
Running time: 51 min
17:30 - 18:34
Houbara
Houbara or Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueni) is one of the favorite birds among hunters and falconers in the Persian Gulf countries. Unfortunately in the last decades, bustard’s hunting and catching alive have caused a drastic reduction in its population and as a result, it is now considered one of the most vulnerable and endangered species in Iran and all over the world.
Director: Fathollah Amiri, Nima AsgariLocation: Viljandi Centrum
Running time: 64 min
17:30 - 18:21
The Great Swamp
Vello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelLocation: Pärnu Pernova loodusmaja
Running time: 51 min
19:00 - 19:52
The Elephant & the Termite
Together, elephants and termites create waterholes. This is the remarkable story of the relationship between Africa’s largest and smallest and the unique biodiversity that they support. It is the story of a seasonal African waterhole in southern Kenya - an extraordinary web of interdependency and the circle of life as never seen before. All from the perspective of a cast of animal characters that live at elephant toe-nail height. It is the intriguing story of their struggle to survive and raise families before their world turns to dust.
Director: Mark Deeble, Victoria StoneLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 52 min
17:00 - 17:51
Pantanal - Brazil's Natural Miracle
Pantanal is Brazilian and means just swamp. Simple the name but the largest swamp area on earth in the heart of South America! This million years old landscape is criss-crossed by rivers, lakes and flooded plains. A Noah's Ark for jaguars, giant otters, hyacinth macaws, anteaters and many other well-known and mysterious animals and plants. They were brought to the brink of extinction by the 1970s. But extensive protective measures brought them back. So today large families of giant otters can be seen chasing through the rivers. Caimans were once killed for their skin by the millions. Today they can be seen everywhere. The world's largest parrots had almost disappeared. Today, 90 percent of all hyacinth macaws in the world live in the Pantanal. With them over 400 other bird species. Ever since jaguar hunting was banned, the kings of the wild have been hunting everywhere again.
Director: Christoph and Almut HauschildLocation: Tartu loodusmaja
Running time: 51 min
Saturday
01.10.2022
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0022:00 - 22:51
The Great Swamp
Vello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelLocation: Vormsi Rahvamaja
Running time: 51 min
14:00 - 14:53
Waves Beneath The Water
The Netherlands and water, a country and an elemental force inextricably interwoven. The mills, pumping stations, polders and dykes are famous and magnets for tourists. The country is surrounded by water in a captivating landscape of ditches, canals, ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. As much as 16% of the country is fresh water and a third of the land lies below sea level. But... what do we actually know about the aquatic lives of the fresh water residents? In this blue chip film, we see protagonists that are hidden from us in our daily lives, because they live under water. The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of those below the water surface is fascinating. The diversity of species, sizes, behaviour, colours and shapes is enormous. This is a world that you think only exists on coral reefs, until you find a farm ditch and put your head underwater.
Director: Arthur de BruinLocation: Pärnu Pernova loodusmaja
Running time: 53 min
12:00 - 13:35
About the Forest
Sweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonLocation: Pärnu Pernova loodusmaja
Running time: 95 min
Sunday
02.10.2022
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0020:00 - 20:52
Food Fraud: An Organised Crime
Horse-meat labelled as beef. Honey diluted with cheap sugar syrups. Counterfeit extra-virgin olive oil. Food crime is a multi-billion dollar industry affecting everything from the cheapest to most expensive ingredient. 10% of what we eat is thought to be adulterated. “What we know for sure is that food fraud is growing exponentially and it’s more and more worrying,” states one consumer advocate. In this investigation, we follow the food fraud brigades and reveal how little we know about what we’re eating. From the olive groves of Italy to the fish markets of France and the abattoirs of Poland, this film takes you on a culinary journey of a very different kind. A global investigation into the counterfeit food industry.
Director: Bénédicte DelfautLocation: Vormsi Rahvamaja
Running time: 52 min
17:00 - 17:51
The Great Swamp
Vello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelLocation: Kilingi-Nõmme klubi
Running time: 51 min
15:00 - 15:53
Superbirds - The Secret Life Of Tits
Tits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
Director: Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen HundertmarkLocation: Kilingi-Nõmme klubi
Running time: 53 min
19:30 - 20:23
Black and White Big Cats
This documentary immerses us alongside French photographer Laurent Baheux, in the heart of the African bush, chasing three fascinating felines. The lion, king of the savannah, powerful, majestic and vulnerable at the same time. The graceful cheetah, so quick but so fragile. The leopard, a silent and ghostly predator. All around, a delicate and threatened nature. Laurent is ready to seize what it has to offer him, he expects nothing in particular, always humble in his relationship with animals. He captures the beauty of the moment, the play of lights, the harmony of the scenes.
Director: Mathieu Le LayLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 53 min
17:00 - 18:40
Pleistocene Park
Seeking no one’s help and asking nobody’s permission, Russian geophysicist Sergey Zimov and his son Nikita are gathering any large wooly beast they can get their hands on, and transporting them, by whatever low budget means they can contrive, to the most remote corner of Siberia. They call their project Pleistocene Park. The goal: restore the Ice Age “mammoth steppe” ecosystem and avoid a catastrophic feedback loop leading to runaway global warming. Sergey would know: fifteen years ago he published in the journal Science showing that frozen arctic soils contain twice as much carbon as the earth’s atmosphere. These soils are now starting to melt. Can two Russian scientists stave off a worst case scenario of global environmental catastrophe and reshape humanity’s relationship with the natural world?
Director: Luke Griswold-TergisLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 100 min
15:00 - 15:51
The Great Swamp
Vello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 51 min
13:30 - 14:22
The Elephant & the Termite
Together, elephants and termites create waterholes. This is the remarkable story of the relationship between Africa’s largest and smallest and the unique biodiversity that they support. It is the story of a seasonal African waterhole in southern Kenya - an extraordinary web of interdependency and the circle of life as never seen before. All from the perspective of a cast of animal characters that live at elephant toe-nail height. It is the intriguing story of their struggle to survive and raise families before their world turns to dust.
Director: Mark Deeble, Victoria StoneLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 52 min
12:00 - 12:53
Superbirds - The Secret Life Of Tits
Tits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
Director: Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen HundertmarkLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 53 min
Wednesday
20.09.2023
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Chasing the Rains (Ep 1 - The Fickle River)
Track three wild matriarchs on the hunt for life-giving water during one of Kenya’s worst droughts. Trek alongside the Royals elephant clan, see wild dog Phoenix fend off wily hyenas, and watch cheetah Kuleta keep her cubs out of predators’ reach.
Director: Nigel PopeLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
15:00 - 15:50
Wild Argentina - Land of Survivors
In Argentina's breathtaking, yet imposing wilderness, every day is a fight for survival. The terrain is rugged and parched. The air is thin. The weather can change in an instant. And then there are the predators. A female puma stalks a valley in search of guanaco, while a tarantula defends itself against a hungry armadillo. Foxes will scavenge what they can…until one of the world’s largest vultures shows up. All the while, in the background, glaciers greedily hold on to the freshwater these animals so desperately need.
Director: Christian BaumeisterLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
16:00 - 16:30
Geamăna
Long ago, Geamăna was a Romanian village in the Apuseni Mountains, home to about 1000 people. Today, only the church spire rises from the poisonous mud of a neighbouring copper mine. Almost all the houses have sunk and their inhabitants fled. Only a few people held on to their home. On the edge of the past, Valeria Praţa strives for her present - and is threatened by the future.
Director: Matthäus WörleLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 30 min
18:00 - 18:52
A White Dream
In love with images and the cold, the wildlife photographer Jérémie Villet travels alone through the white deserts of the northern hemisphere with his pulka and his telephoto lens, looking for animals that survive in extreme cold. During his upcoming expedition in the Canadian North, Jérémie is about to explore the wild and extreme Yukon region, with the ultimate goal of photographing the legendary mountain goat. The difficulty of access to the mountain territories where this animal dwells and the freezing temperatures will make the task challenging. Carried by adventures and unique human and animal encounters, this documentary allows gives us an an intimate view of this changing world.
Director: Mathieu Le LayLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
12:00 - 12:50
Cactus Hotel
In the American Southwest, a towering Giant graces the skies, appearing lifeless but teeming with life as an iconic luxury hotel for desert creatures, each showcasing remarkable survival, hunting, and housing abilities; united by their encounters at the remarkable Cactus Hotel, the film unveils the enthralling tale of an old Saguaro cactus, its wild guests, unique habitats, and enduring tenants who call this spiky fortress home.
Director: Yann SochaczewskiLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
10:00 - 10:52
Woodpeckers: The Hole Story
Woodpeckers: The Hole Story goes deep into the woods to explore the lives of a unique avian family. All woodpeckers share some very special gifts – they are acutely adapted to life in the trees and are experts at working with wood.
Director: Ann Johnson PrumLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
Thursday
21.09.2023
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0012:00 - 12:50
The Dark Side of Bright Nights
When light pollution causes the night to disappear, a fundamental clock for life on earth is thrown out of balance. Animals and plants are threatened by artificial light. Many organisms have found their evolutionary niche in the dark of night and must now adapt to brighter nights. Some succeed, but for many the brightness becomes a death trap - and causes species to diminish. What solutions is science finding to this problem?
Director: Tim Visser, Sander van IerselLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
19:00 - 19:50
Tangled In The Tides
The air is thick and humid in the tropical forests of Mexico's Pacific coastal lowland. Woven into the landscape, a resilient Red Mangrove tree conquers the elements in a world repeatedly drowned by the tides. At 40 meters, this defiant survivor is among the tallest of its kind. Its tangled root system is a magical realm that provides shelter and food to an array of species, from fish, crabs and crocodiles, to some of Mexico's most exotic birds and mammals. In essence, the gnarled and robust Red Mangrove tree is a wild ecosystem inhabited by an assortment of creatures - a metropolis for wildlife.
Director: Barend van der WattLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
18:00 - 18:54
Tending the Garden
A journey through a year in the life of three family farms cultivating cannabis, food and community in the pursuit of a regenerative future.
Director: Claire Weissbluth & Jesse DoddLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 54 min
17:00 - 17:47
Drops Give Life
Masht Hussein is a rancher, a reasonable human being who has a standard and intimate relationship with his family and friends, he has a great deal of respect for nature that he lived his life in and he loves animals. For more than thirty years, kindly and without any help, every day he has been walking several kilometres through impassable highlands to water the thirsty animals and birds in the area where drought and aridity have made living difficult for animals. At the beginning of the path Masht Hussein carries the water with a pack animal to the steep slope of the mountain; since after that the animal is unable to proceed, he carries the bucket of water and covers the rest of the difficult road, embedding water in nature and managing water according to what he has experienced in nature. So in high and dry mountains, almost a habitat of three thousand hectares has been covered by his activity. The area that he covers is much richer in terms of animal species and the number of animals compared to the surrounding habitats that have been severely damaged by drought and aridity. You can feel life in the area under his care. At the end of the difficult path and doing an arduous task, Masht Hussein is tired yet happy, when he sees birds and animals drinking water, he watches them drink water and enjoys it.
Director: Farshi AzariLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 47 min
16:00 - 16:50
Beasts of the Big Blue (Ep 1 - Tini Heke)
Deep in the Southern Ocean, the Snares Islands is one of the most pristine island wildernesses left on the planet - a sanctuary for penguins and millions of other breeding seabirds.
Director: Judith CurranLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
15:00 - 15:49
Planet Killers: The Prince of Carbon
Filmteam have been granted exclusive access to the environmental crime unit of Interpol. This film is the inside story on the hunt for Cyril Astruc, the “Prince of Carbon”. Cyril Astruc has been a fugitive from justice for nearly ten years, on the run from both the French authorities and Interpol. He has an international arrest warrant for fraud and money laundering. The so-called “Prince of Carbon” masterminded a huge carbon quota fraud, which misappropriated five billion Euros from European state coffers. This money had been earmarked to fight climate change and CO2 emissions, and the fraud meant that the carbon exchange system no longer had any effect in ecological terms.
Director: Martin BoudotLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 49 min
14:00 - 14:56
The Powerful Owl
Filmed over the course of 3 months during the 2021 Covid Lockdown in Sydney Australia, 'The Powerful Owl' is a 1-hour documentary about filmmaker David Luff documenting the lives of a family of Powerful Owls and their two Owlets. As he discovers and films their habits, learned behavior and accomplishments, parallels are found within his own personal life.
Director: David LuffLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 56 min
13:00 - 13:50
The Dark Side of Bright Nights
When light pollution causes the night to disappear, a fundamental clock for life on earth is thrown out of balance. Animals and plants are threatened by artificial light. Many organisms have found their evolutionary niche in the dark of night and must now adapt to brighter nights. Some succeed, but for many the brightness becomes a death trap - and causes species to diminish. What solutions is science finding to this problem?
Director: Tim Visser, Sander van IerselLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
12:00 - 12:50
China's Wild Empire - Tibetan Antelope: The Mysterious Migration
Every year tens of thousands of endemic Tibetan antelope or "chiru" undertake a big migration from their breeding grounds in the valleys of China's Qinghai province to their calving grounds on the high and remote Quighai-Tibet plateau. It's one of China's greatest wildlife events, full of drama, spectacle and surprise, and all set in a breathtaking landscape.
Director: Pascal CardeilhacLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
19:30 - 20:30
The Illusion of Abundance
Three women share a common goal: Carolina, Bertha and Maxima are leading today's fight against modern conquistadors. Whereas governments and corporations, trapped in a global race towards unlimited growth, need to get the cheapest raw materials, these three women tell us a story of tireless courage: how to keep fighting to protect nature when your life is at risk? When police repression, corporate harassment, injuries or even death threats are part of your daily routine?
Director: Erika Gonzalez Ramirez & Matthieu LietaertLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 60 min
18:00 - 18:48
Return of the Little Tern Seabird on the Floating Artificial Sand Islands
Andongho islands the little terns used to make home sank due to heavy rain. People got together to create an artificial sand island where they could settle down and breed.
Director: Dong-Man SHIN, Sang-Seop YEOMLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 48 min
16:15 - 17:45
Wolf
WOLF showcases unique footage of the wolf in the wild, giving an intimate insight into the real life of this wonderful animal, its strong family bonds, its positive influence on biodiversity and how remarkably similar they are to ‘man’s best friend’.
Director: Cees van KempenLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 90 min
14:30 - 15:57
Mongolia, Valley of the Bears
In Mongolia, its primary forests and pure waters have kept an entire population nomadic on its lands for thousands of years. But for more than 30 years, the rich natural resources of these Mongolian lands have fallen prey to illegal hunters and miners, often from the local population. In just a few years, the country has witnessed an alarming collapse of its biodiversity. Faced with this worrying situation, the Mongolian Ministry of Environment created the "Red Taiga" Park in 2012, at the head of which it appointed ranger Jal Tumursukh. The mission of this former local hunter is now to enforce the law of environmental protection, whose objective is to put an end to illegal mining, but also to traditional practices of hunting and nomadism. A very delicate mission for a just cause to which the chief ranger is trying to rally more and more forest guards from the disgruntled local communities.
Director: Hamid SardarLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 87 min
13:00 - 14:15
Out There: A National Parks Story
Two childhood friends embark a 10,000 mile road trip through the U.S. national parks, revealing a tapestry of stories from the people they meet along the way.
Director: Brendan HallLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 75 min
11:00 - 11:50
Nature's Magic Moments
Nature is full of surprises, but all too often they escape our perception. Amazing animal behavior often takes place in secret and happens so quickly that we can hardly see it. Christian Baumeister's film reveals what remains hidden from the human eye. State-of-the-art camera technology, impressive super slow motion and amazing time lapses magically stage kingfishers, brown hares, bats and co. in extraordinary moments. A feast for the senses and an unforgettable film experience for the whole family.
Director: Christian BaumeisterLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
Friday
22.09.2023
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0020:00 - 21:10
Bucolic
Danusia and her daughter Basia live far away from the modern world, in tune with the rhythm and laws of nature, among animals and the spirits of the dead. The peace and sense of security offered by their enclave come at a price – the women increasingly long for contact with other people. Bucolic is an affectionate observation of people who live in a different way. It evokes a curiosity about their world and a desire to take a closer look.
Director: Karol PałkaLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 70 min
18:00 - 19:23
Elusive Landscapes
The main characters in the documentary film "Elusive Landscapes" include Pille, Felix, Father Agaton, Hellat and Kateriina, who all live in Western Estonia. Pille, whose last surviving close relative is her daughter living in Finland, attempts to farm sheep alone while defying old age. Felix is worried about bees. Beehives remain empty, bee colonies are dying out, queens are not laying enough eggs for the new generations to hatch. Fields are being poisoned and primaeval forests are being clear-cut. Father Agaton serves small local Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church congregations, performs blessings, and administers Communion. The Estonian Defence League member Hellat and his daughter Kateriina look for silver, which is supposedly buried in the ground. Legend has it that Vikings reached the local seaside villages through a place called Neidsaare, through the reed turfs of the shallow bay.
Director: Sulev KeedusLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 83 min
17:00 - 17:49
A Butterfly´s Tale
In this nature road movie filmmaker Jan Haft and his team go in search of one of Europe's rarest butterflies. They visit one location in Germany and one location in Austria, where the rare butterfly has recently disappeared from. They end up finding the butterfly in Romania. It soon becomes clear what is threatening the butterfly everywhere: The lack of extensive pastoral landscapes, due to the industrialization of agriculture. Only in Romania, in the highlands of Transylvania, extensive large pastures still exist, where cattle, water buffalo and horses graze in small numbers, maintaining a semi-open grassland interspersed with bushes and trees. A colorful, flowering biotope that is home to the Danube clouded yellow butterfly and countless other endangered organisms. But social upheavals are also taking place in Romania, which will almost inevitably lead to the disappearance of extensive pastures just like in the rest of Europe. These pasture landscapes are more reminiscent of the grasslands of African national parks than of agriculture in Europe. A habitat with an unimagined wealth of species, for which the Danube clouded yellow is but a symbol. Cattle and horses – much more than sheep – not only ensure the preservation of the rare butterfly. They protect biodiversity, the climate and the landscape.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 49 min
16:00 - 16:28
Feathers or Glamour
With the beginning of the first corona wave in 2020, Estonia was hit by the real chicken boom. The apocalyptic tendencies in the air lead hundreds of people living in towns to start growing their own vegetables and keep chicken in backyards. For coreographer Veronika chicken stands for a glamourous companion with whom she can go to work and use in art projects as a nice decorative thing. Veronika calls herself “The Chicken Queen” and rides her pink vintage bike through Kopli district with the intention to insist neighbours to start keeping chicken as well. An anthropologist Tanel calls all his five chicken by human names and for him the birds are funny friends with whom he can make all kind of tricks - hypnotize them, make them swing on a chicken swing and teach them playing xylophone. Also is he interested of the very strict social hierarchy of chicken and likes to analyze the “school bullying” amongst chicken. For Mindi a chicken is a best friend with whom to lay down on sofa together in the evening and share her life, whom to pet and comb, sew diapers and build a special chicken house in the cellar. Mindi also knows a bit of a chicken language. The style of “Feathers or glamour” is mainly observational, although there will be 2-3 directed scenes. We depict the life a chicken in town - the beauty and glamour but also the dark sides of it - walking with chicken harness, living in a cage and wearing diapers.
Director: Eva KübarLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 28 min
15:00 - 15:52
The Raven's Tale
The Czech Republic exudes an distinctive, enchanting and almost mystical romance. Nature in this mysterious land is bizarre, whimsical and unspoild. There are mountains, virgin beech forests, wild valleys and labyrinths of sandstone cliffs with caves and gorges. In the midst of this idyllic landscape, bears take care of their offspring, black storks hatch their eggs and live in balance with nature with dormouse, ural owls, foxes, wolves and many more. In between there are ancient castles and picturesque buildings that tell of an eventful past. No wonder the Czech Republic became the “land of fairy tales”.
Director: Michael SchlambergerLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
14:00 - 14:22
Where do frogs come from?
The film "Where Do Frogs Come From?" observes the reproduction process of the two most common frog species in Northern Europe - the common frog and the common toad - from spring migration to the tadpole-to-frog transformation in high summer. Frog action takes place on land as well as on and under water. Things for the froggies do not always go without a hitch and they too struggle with miscalculations. There are misunderstandings and quarrels they endeavor to resolve. The life of tadpoles falls short of a carefree childhood and the little guys must resort to a variety of tricks to survive.
Director: Hannes RohtmaLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 22 min
12:00 - 13:06
New Pigs on the Block
Luc, Mia and Anja are pigs. They live on a piece of no man's land between a railway and a small parking lot on the edge of the city. They are the protagonists of a neighborhood project in which they are fed surplus food by a group of volunteers. At first, this appears to be an earthly paradise for pigs, where they receive human affection and where good food abounds. But their peaceful existence is increasingly disturbed by the world around them. As summer gradually turns into autumn, their pastures are falling into disrepair and the hierarchy between the pigs is becoming more and more grim.
Director: Jimmy KetsLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 66 min
10:00 - 11:06
New Pigs on the Block
Luc, Mia and Anja are pigs. They live on a piece of no man's land between a railway and a small parking lot on the edge of the city. They are the protagonists of a neighborhood project in which they are fed surplus food by a group of volunteers. At first, this appears to be an earthly paradise for pigs, where they receive human affection and where good food abounds. But their peaceful existence is increasingly disturbed by the world around them. As summer gradually turns into autumn, their pastures are falling into disrepair and the hierarchy between the pigs is becoming more and more grim.
Director: Jimmy KetsLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 66 min
17:00 - 17:46
The Memory of Life
Through new epigenetic research, the film follows the growth of the Thale Cress plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) in their natural habitat, to the archives and to cell evolution. Thale Cresses shows us that life is shared by remembering. An poetic essay on an aspect of memory.
Director: Juhani HaukkaLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 46 min
11:00 - 11:51
Jeseníky - A Mountain Wilderness Kingdom
A natural history documentary that tells the story of the fascinating life cycle of the unique mountain nature of the Jeseníky Mountains. From raging rivers and streams, through extensive forests, torn rocks, swaying bogs to inhospitable alpine forests. Everywhere we meet unique plants and animals, adapted to the harsh environment of the mountains.
Director: Marián PolákLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
18:00 - 18:50
Poland's Wild East
Eastern Poland is one of Europe’s last truly wild regions. Animals that have long since disappeared can be found here. Just how much space we allow the animals and what the future may hold for them is almost entirely up to us.
Director: Jens Westphalen & Thoralf GrospitzLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
16:00 - 16:50
Gentle Mountain - The Foothills Of The Alps
This documentary presents one of the most species-rich regions in Europe - the foothills of the Alps. Animals of all elements meet along two worlds. World-roaming deer, rain-dancing owls, orderly fanatic woodpeckers, and a battle of wits between jays and squirrels. They lead us through the fairytale landscapes, from the wild moors of the plain to the gentle mountain slopes of the Alps.
Director: Patrick CenturioniLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
15:00 - 15:52
Return of the Vultures
For centuries, vultures have suffered from a terrible reputation and have been persecuted and exterminated. Today these majestic birds have made a remarkable comeback in Europe’s mountains and they are now considered an important part of the eco system. For an entire year, we filmed in the magnificent Grands Causses Park in Provence in southern France. This natural sanctuary of 3200 square kilometers is home to four of Europe’s largest species of birds: the Bearded, the Egyptian, the Black and the Griffon Vulture. We follow the intimacy of four families of vultures during an entire breeding season, as young vultures find their mate, start a family, protect their offspring from their enemies, withstand the elements and prepare their chicks for the ultimate trial: the first flight. An incredible coming of age story shot over four seasons and that will change the viewers’ perception of the vulture.
Director: Emmanuel RondeauLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
14:00 - 14:52
Natura Europa - The Return of the Aurochs
30,000 years ago Stone Age hunters painted mythical creatures on cave walls. An amazing story begins with these enigmatic images. It reaches into today’s Europe and tells of an amazing undertaking: to make amends for an old injustice. The film is about the adventurous attempt to bring back the aurochs, which existed in Europe for thousands of years and were exterminated 400 years ago.
Director: Michael SchlambergerLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
13:00 - 13:52
American Ocelot
American Ocelot chronicles the sad history, precarious present, and optimistic future for the United States’ most endangered wild cat. Wildlife filmmaker Ben Masters ventures out to document these rare and elusive animals while meeting with experts along the way to get a better understanding of the species’ history, challenges, and conservation status. With fewer than 80 known ocelots remaining in the US, the stakes are high for their survival, which is threatened by inbreeding depression, habitat fragmentation, and the inability of various interest groups to find common ground. But there is hope for a bright future! American Ocelot is a documentary of international importance that showcases the dire need to save this species, and presents potential solutions and reasons for hope for their future.
Director: Ben MastersLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
12:00 - 12:51
What is wilderness?
"What is Wilderness?" asks what wilderness actually is. We learn that the greatest biodiversity is where large grazing animals are part of the habitat. But the species-rich large animal fauna that once existed has disappeared from Europe with the appearance of modern Homo sapiens Domestic animals, when grazing in the right numbers and as a proxy for the extinct large herbivores, perform the identical "ecosystem engineering" services. This is an opportunity for our future and not only because wild pastures have been shown to store more carbon than forests. But where many natural processes take place, we can achieve a state there that resembles a wilderness. A NEW WILDERNESS perhaps; - but a wilderness that is good and important for biodiversity, animal welfare, climate, our land and for the future of mankind.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
Saturday
23.09.2023
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0012:00 - 13:23
Elusive Landscapes
The main characters in the documentary film "Elusive Landscapes" include Pille, Felix, Father Agaton, Hellat and Kateriina, who all live in Western Estonia. Pille, whose last surviving close relative is her daughter living in Finland, attempts to farm sheep alone while defying old age. Felix is worried about bees. Beehives remain empty, bee colonies are dying out, queens are not laying enough eggs for the new generations to hatch. Fields are being poisoned and primaeval forests are being clear-cut. Father Agaton serves small local Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church congregations, performs blessings, and administers Communion. The Estonian Defence League member Hellat and his daughter Kateriina look for silver, which is supposedly buried in the ground. Legend has it that Vikings reached the local seaside villages through a place called Neidsaare, through the reed turfs of the shallow bay.
Director: Sulev KeedusLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 83 min
16:00 - 16:58
In the Garden
This is a place, a modest garden by the countryside. What is weaving here? The changing weather, the passage of time, the growth of plants, the constantly repeated gestures... A voice punctuates the film, invites us to dive into the depths of Time, in order to make ourselves fully present to the world.
Director: Natacha BoutkevitchLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 58 min
13:30 - 14:15
Cucurrucu - The Pigeon Rescuers
Pigeons in cities are considered a plague by many, often just because of their sheer numbers - their plight is thus often overlooked. Lis, Sven, and Eleonora want to help change the animal's perception. The three are volunteer members of the Pigeon Rescue Network in Hanover, Germany. Their work includes rescuing injured pigeons in the city, providing medical treatments, and fostering. Because of the general aversion towards pigeons, the rescuers are often met with prejudices, incomprehension, and hostility. In addition, the reproduction speed of city pigeons and the number of animals in need demand increasingly more resources, time, and dedication - the rescuer’s effort seems futile, but there are few other options than to continue.
Director: Lâm, Nguyễn TiếnLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 45 min
12:00 - 12:44
The Slumber of Soomaa
To save and support the unique ancient Finno-Ugric tradition! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Young restorer Darja and her teacher Aivar Ruukel are trying to build “lootsik” – the dugout boat, which is also an ancient symbol of the Soomaa National Park. Aivar Ruukel learned his trade from the last masters and wants to preserve this skill for the local community and future generations. Hard work awaits the master and his assistant. The boat must be made for the “fifth season” in Soomaa, which is a unique natural phenomenon.
Director: Jevgeni ZavadskiLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 44 min
11:00 - 11:52
The Battle For The Birds, In The Skies Of Israel
In the Jordan Rift Valley, migratory birds are the collateral victims of 50 years of war. Men and women are protecting the birds and the world’s most important migratory route.
Director: Cédric ChambinLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
10:00 - 10:52
Wild Oman: Wonder of Arabia
The Sultanate of Oman is Arabia’s most remarkable treasure. It is a land of surprising beauty filled with unexpected natural wonders, home to some of the rarest animals on Earth – the Arabian Leopard, Arabian Oryx, Green and Hawksbill Turtles – and many more creatures including Arabian Fox, Striped Hyena, Whale Sharks and other sea creatures. Oman’s landscape is as diverse as the variety of unique creatures that it supports.
Director: Stefania MüllerLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
15:00 - 15:48
Return of the White-tailed Eagle
As recently as 50 years ago, white-tailed eagles were on the verge of extinction. Specializing in nature topics, cinematographer Jouni Hiltunen leads the viewer on a unique journey to follow the lives of white-tailed eagles and their conservation in today’s Finland. The film allows us to follow the lives of white-tailed eagles at close range in nests, on the springtime prowl and in winter. The film expands into a story about how white-tailed eagles today behave and fare in Finland.
Director: Jouni HiltunenLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 48 min
14:00 - 14:52
A Rhino's Life
The shock of very first raindrops on a baby rhino's skin; horns, that may either be tender or inflict serious pain. Droughts, predators, mating acrobatics - a rhino's life is as full of surprises as it is rich with deep social bonds from the start. So is the close relationship between Malaika and her son Elias. For years, the two of them are inseparable. But Malaika is pregnant. When she finally goes into labor, nothing is the same anymore.
Director: Rosie Koch and Roland GockelLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
13:00 - 13:50
The secret Life of Seals
We are taken deep into the world of the seal. We are there when it’s born, when the fluffy white pup has its first swimming lesson. We are with the mother when the males fight and compete for her attentions. Most importantly we follow the seal underwater into its hidden domain.
Director: Johan CandertLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
12:00 - 12:52
The Wild West - A Prairie Dog's Life
In the plains of south Dakota, a community of rodents try to survive in harsh conditions. And conflicts inside the colony make life hard. But when predators threat the colony, prairie dogs have to get along well to survive. Thanks to a remarkable language ability, they can prevent attacks from coyote and badgers.
Director: Philippe MoreauLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
11:00 - 11:50
A Hard Nut To Crack
In the dark recesses of the Peruvian rain-forest stands an unwavering Brazil nut tree - a titan among trees. For it to reproduce, this awe-inspiring pillar of strength relies on a series of intricate relationships with animals and insects found only in the wild. Only one critter has teeth strong enough to crack open the tree's tough fruit - the Agouti. For its survival, the Brazil nut relies on this tenacous rodent to disperse its seeds throughout the Amazon. While carpenter bees are the only insects strong enough to open and pollenate the tree's flowers. And these are just two of the Brazil nut's many allies. Without this incredible tree, many species will go extinct.
Director: Barend Van der WattLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
Sunday
24.09.2023
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0017:00 - 18:06
New Pigs on the Block
Luc, Mia and Anja are pigs. They live on a piece of no man's land between a railway and a small parking lot on the edge of the city. They are the protagonists of a neighborhood project in which they are fed surplus food by a group of volunteers. At first, this appears to be an earthly paradise for pigs, where they receive human affection and where good food abounds. But their peaceful existence is increasingly disturbed by the world around them. As summer gradually turns into autumn, their pastures are falling into disrepair and the hierarchy between the pigs is becoming more and more grim.
Director: Jimmy KetsLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 66 min
15:30 - 16:57
Mongolia, Valley of the Bears
In Mongolia, its primary forests and pure waters have kept an entire population nomadic on its lands for thousands of years. But for more than 30 years, the rich natural resources of these Mongolian lands have fallen prey to illegal hunters and miners, often from the local population. In just a few years, the country has witnessed an alarming collapse of its biodiversity. Faced with this worrying situation, the Mongolian Ministry of Environment created the "Red Taiga" Park in 2012, at the head of which it appointed ranger Jal Tumursukh. The mission of this former local hunter is now to enforce the law of environmental protection, whose objective is to put an end to illegal mining, but also to traditional practices of hunting and nomadism. A very delicate mission for a just cause to which the chief ranger is trying to rally more and more forest guards from the disgruntled local communities.
Director: Hamid SardarLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 87 min
14:35 - 15:27
A White Dream
In love with images and the cold, the wildlife photographer Jérémie Villet travels alone through the white deserts of the northern hemisphere with his pulka and his telephoto lens, looking for animals that survive in extreme cold. During his upcoming expedition in the Canadian North, Jérémie is about to explore the wild and extreme Yukon region, with the ultimate goal of photographing the legendary mountain goat. The difficulty of access to the mountain territories where this animal dwells and the freezing temperatures will make the task challenging. Carried by adventures and unique human and animal encounters, this documentary allows gives us an an intimate view of this changing world.
Director: Mathieu Le LayLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
13:00 - 14:30
Wolf
WOLF showcases unique footage of the wolf in the wild, giving an intimate insight into the real life of this wonderful animal, its strong family bonds, its positive influence on biodiversity and how remarkably similar they are to ‘man’s best friend’.
Director: Cees van KempenLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 90 min
12:00 - 12:50
Cactus Hotel
In the American Southwest, a towering Giant graces the skies, appearing lifeless but teeming with life as an iconic luxury hotel for desert creatures, each showcasing remarkable survival, hunting, and housing abilities; united by their encounters at the remarkable Cactus Hotel, the film unveils the enthralling tale of an old Saguaro cactus, its wild guests, unique habitats, and enduring tenants who call this spiky fortress home.
Director: Yann SochaczewskiLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
11:00 - 11:52
The Raven's Tale
The Czech Republic exudes an distinctive, enchanting and almost mystical romance. Nature in this mysterious land is bizarre, whimsical and unspoild. There are mountains, virgin beech forests, wild valleys and labyrinths of sandstone cliffs with caves and gorges. In the midst of this idyllic landscape, bears take care of their offspring, black storks hatch their eggs and live in balance with nature with dormouse, ural owls, foxes, wolves and many more. In between there are ancient castles and picturesque buildings that tell of an eventful past. No wonder the Czech Republic became the “land of fairy tales”.
Director: Michael SchlambergerLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
10:30 - 10:52
Where do frogs come from?
The film "Where Do Frogs Come From?" observes the reproduction process of the two most common frog species in Northern Europe - the common frog and the common toad - from spring migration to the tadpole-to-frog transformation in high summer. Frog action takes place on land as well as on and under water. Things for the froggies do not always go without a hitch and they too struggle with miscalculations. There are misunderstandings and quarrels they endeavor to resolve. The life of tadpoles falls short of a carefree childhood and the little guys must resort to a variety of tricks to survive.
Director: Hannes RohtmaLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 22 min
12:00 - 13:27
The Forest Maker
The film portrays the Australian agronomist Tony Rinaudo (winner of alternative Nobel, Right Livelihood Award) and the local farmers who are revolutionizing our idea of agriculture and forestry in Africa, thus calling conventional reforestation into question. Volker Schlöndorff´s hopeful documentary debut.
Director: Volker SchlöndorffLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 87 min
16:00 - 16:52
My Wild Cats - European Cats
From Iberian Lynxes to wildcats, Europe is home to a variety of felines. New initiatives to protect wildcats have brought some species back from the brink of extinction.
Director: Bertrand LoyerLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
15:00 - 15:49
Chasing Walrus (With A Stubborn Photographer)
When a film team travel to Greenland to film walrus underwater, it feels like an exciting but perfectly normal assignment. But a pack of hungry polar bears have different ideas. With the ice melted, and the walrus no-where to be seen, filmmakers Simon Stanford and Göran Ehlmé find themselves at the mercy of these arctic predators - fighting for survival in a habitat on the brink of collapse.
Director: Simon StanfordLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 49 min
11:00 - 11:45
Sleepless Birds
Equal parts visual poetry and scientific observation, "Sleepless Birds" tracks the rise of artificially-lit industrial greenhouses in the French region of Bretagne. The film presents the environmental impact of grow lights on biodiversity, as well as on our rhythm and perception of time. In examining the case of agricultural light pollution, the film also raises questions about the unintended consequences of human attempts to overpower nature and control the elements.
Director: Tom Claudon, Dana MelaverLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 45 min
14:00 - 14:50
Wild Argentina - Land of Water
Water shapes northern Argentina, creating paradises for unique wildlife. Whether it's sooty swifts swooping through waterfall floodwaters, frogs glowing in the dark, cute coati families in the undergrowth, or mighty anacondas on the prowl. Argentina's wetlands hold many wonders. In magnificent images, the film celebrates Argentina's water-rich north as a hotspot of biodiversity and shows how drought and fires threaten the fragile ecosystem.
Director: Christian BaumeisterLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
Monday
25.09.2023
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0011:30 - 12:14
The Slumber of Soomaa
To save and support the unique ancient Finno-Ugric tradition! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Young restorer Darja and her teacher Aivar Ruukel are trying to build “lootsik” – the dugout boat, which is also an ancient symbol of the Soomaa National Park. Aivar Ruukel learned his trade from the last masters and wants to preserve this skill for the local community and future generations. Hard work awaits the master and his assistant. The boat must be made for the “fifth season” in Soomaa, which is a unique natural phenomenon.
Director: Jevgeni ZavadskiLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 44 min
11:00 - 11:22
Where do frogs come from?
The film "Where Do Frogs Come From?" observes the reproduction process of the two most common frog species in Northern Europe - the common frog and the common toad - from spring migration to the tadpole-to-frog transformation in high summer. Frog action takes place on land as well as on and under water. Things for the froggies do not always go without a hitch and they too struggle with miscalculations. There are misunderstandings and quarrels they endeavor to resolve. The life of tadpoles falls short of a carefree childhood and the little guys must resort to a variety of tricks to survive.
Director: Hannes RohtmaLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 22 min
08:45 - 09:13
Feathers or Glamour
With the beginning of the first corona wave in 2020, Estonia was hit by the real chicken boom. The apocalyptic tendencies in the air lead hundreds of people living in towns to start growing their own vegetables and keep chicken in backyards. For coreographer Veronika chicken stands for a glamourous companion with whom she can go to work and use in art projects as a nice decorative thing. Veronika calls herself “The Chicken Queen” and rides her pink vintage bike through Kopli district with the intention to insist neighbours to start keeping chicken as well. An anthropologist Tanel calls all his five chicken by human names and for him the birds are funny friends with whom he can make all kind of tricks - hypnotize them, make them swing on a chicken swing and teach them playing xylophone. Also is he interested of the very strict social hierarchy of chicken and likes to analyze the “school bullying” amongst chicken. For Mindi a chicken is a best friend with whom to lay down on sofa together in the evening and share her life, whom to pet and comb, sew diapers and build a special chicken house in the cellar. Mindi also knows a bit of a chicken language. The style of “Feathers or glamour” is mainly observational, although there will be 2-3 directed scenes. We depict the life a chicken in town - the beauty and glamour but also the dark sides of it - walking with chicken harness, living in a cage and wearing diapers.
Director: Eva KübarLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 28 min
19:00 - 19:50
Nature's Magic Moments
Nature is full of surprises, but all too often they escape our perception. Amazing animal behavior often takes place in secret and happens so quickly that we can hardly see it. Christian Baumeister's film reveals what remains hidden from the human eye. State-of-the-art camera technology, impressive super slow motion and amazing time lapses magically stage kingfishers, brown hares, bats and co. in extraordinary moments. A feast for the senses and an unforgettable film experience for the whole family.
Director: Christian BaumeisterLocation: Viljandi Kogukonnakino
Running time: 50 min
Tuesday
26.09.2023
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0009:45 - 10:29
The Slumber of Soomaa
To save and support the unique ancient Finno-Ugric tradition! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Young restorer Darja and her teacher Aivar Ruukel are trying to build “lootsik” – the dugout boat, which is also an ancient symbol of the Soomaa National Park. Aivar Ruukel learned his trade from the last masters and wants to preserve this skill for the local community and future generations. Hard work awaits the master and his assistant. The boat must be made for the “fifth season” in Soomaa, which is a unique natural phenomenon.
Director: Jevgeni ZavadskiLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 44 min
08:30 - 09:00
Geamăna
Long ago, Geamăna was a Romanian village in the Apuseni Mountains, home to about 1000 people. Today, only the church spire rises from the poisonous mud of a neighbouring copper mine. Almost all the houses have sunk and their inhabitants fled. Only a few people held on to their home. On the edge of the past, Valeria Praţa strives for her present - and is threatened by the future.
Director: Matthäus WörleLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 30 min
19:00 - 20:00
The Illusion of Abundance
Three women share a common goal: Carolina, Bertha and Maxima are leading today's fight against modern conquistadors. Whereas governments and corporations, trapped in a global race towards unlimited growth, need to get the cheapest raw materials, these three women tell us a story of tireless courage: how to keep fighting to protect nature when your life is at risk? When police repression, corporate harassment, injuries or even death threats are part of your daily routine?
Director: Erika Gonzalez Ramirez & Matthieu LietaertLocation: Rakvere Eragümnaasium
Running time: 60 min
10:30 - 11:20
The secret Life of Seals
We are taken deep into the world of the seal. We are there when it’s born, when the fluffy white pup has its first swimming lesson. We are with the mother when the males fight and compete for her attentions. Most importantly we follow the seal underwater into its hidden domain.
Director: Johan CandertLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 50 min
12:45 - 13:37
Woodpeckers: The Hole Story
Woodpeckers: The Hole Story goes deep into the woods to explore the lives of a unique avian family. All woodpeckers share some very special gifts – they are acutely adapted to life in the trees and are experts at working with wood.
Director: Ann Johnson PrumLocation: Mihkli Farm Museum (Saaremaa)
Running time: 52 min
09:30 - 09:52
Where do frogs come from?
The film "Where Do Frogs Come From?" observes the reproduction process of the two most common frog species in Northern Europe - the common frog and the common toad - from spring migration to the tadpole-to-frog transformation in high summer. Frog action takes place on land as well as on and under water. Things for the froggies do not always go without a hitch and they too struggle with miscalculations. There are misunderstandings and quarrels they endeavor to resolve. The life of tadpoles falls short of a carefree childhood and the little guys must resort to a variety of tricks to survive.
Director: Hannes RohtmaLocation: Mihkli Farm Museum (Saaremaa)
Running time: 22 min
Wednesday
27.09.2023
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0019:00 - 20:00
The Illusion of Abundance
Three women share a common goal: Carolina, Bertha and Maxima are leading today's fight against modern conquistadors. Whereas governments and corporations, trapped in a global race towards unlimited growth, need to get the cheapest raw materials, these three women tell us a story of tireless courage: how to keep fighting to protect nature when your life is at risk? When police repression, corporate harassment, injuries or even death threats are part of your daily routine?
Director: Erika Gonzalez Ramirez & Matthieu LietaertLocation: Mihkli Farm Museum (Saaremaa)
Running time: 60 min
19:00 - 19:45
Sleepless Birds
Equal parts visual poetry and scientific observation, "Sleepless Birds" tracks the rise of artificially-lit industrial greenhouses in the French region of Bretagne. The film presents the environmental impact of grow lights on biodiversity, as well as on our rhythm and perception of time. In examining the case of agricultural light pollution, the film also raises questions about the unintended consequences of human attempts to overpower nature and control the elements.
Director: Tom Claudon, Dana MelaverLocation: Viljandi Kogukonnakino
Running time: 45 min
18:25 - 19:15
Cactus Hotel
In the American Southwest, a towering Giant graces the skies, appearing lifeless but teeming with life as an iconic luxury hotel for desert creatures, each showcasing remarkable survival, hunting, and housing abilities; united by their encounters at the remarkable Cactus Hotel, the film unveils the enthralling tale of an old Saguaro cactus, its wild guests, unique habitats, and enduring tenants who call this spiky fortress home.
Director: Yann SochaczewskiLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 50 min
18:00 - 18:22
Where do frogs come from?
The film "Where Do Frogs Come From?" observes the reproduction process of the two most common frog species in Northern Europe - the common frog and the common toad - from spring migration to the tadpole-to-frog transformation in high summer. Frog action takes place on land as well as on and under water. Things for the froggies do not always go without a hitch and they too struggle with miscalculations. There are misunderstandings and quarrels they endeavor to resolve. The life of tadpoles falls short of a carefree childhood and the little guys must resort to a variety of tricks to survive.
Director: Hannes RohtmaLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 22 min
19:00 - 19:52
The Raven's Tale
The Czech Republic exudes an distinctive, enchanting and almost mystical romance. Nature in this mysterious land is bizarre, whimsical and unspoild. There are mountains, virgin beech forests, wild valleys and labyrinths of sandstone cliffs with caves and gorges. In the midst of this idyllic landscape, bears take care of their offspring, black storks hatch their eggs and live in balance with nature with dormouse, ural owls, foxes, wolves and many more. In between there are ancient castles and picturesque buildings that tell of an eventful past. No wonder the Czech Republic became the “land of fairy tales”.
Director: Michael SchlambergerLocation: Oru Kultuurisaal
Running time: 52 min
17:30 - 18:22
A White Dream
In love with images and the cold, the wildlife photographer Jérémie Villet travels alone through the white deserts of the northern hemisphere with his pulka and his telephoto lens, looking for animals that survive in extreme cold. During his upcoming expedition in the Canadian North, Jérémie is about to explore the wild and extreme Yukon region, with the ultimate goal of photographing the legendary mountain goat. The difficulty of access to the mountain territories where this animal dwells and the freezing temperatures will make the task challenging. Carried by adventures and unique human and animal encounters, this documentary allows gives us an an intimate view of this changing world.
Director: Mathieu Le LayLocation: Oru Kultuurisaal
Running time: 52 min
11:40 - 12:30
Nature's Magic Moments
Nature is full of surprises, but all too often they escape our perception. Amazing animal behavior often takes place in secret and happens so quickly that we can hardly see it. Christian Baumeister's film reveals what remains hidden from the human eye. State-of-the-art camera technology, impressive super slow motion and amazing time lapses magically stage kingfishers, brown hares, bats and co. in extraordinary moments. A feast for the senses and an unforgettable film experience for the whole family.
Director: Christian BaumeisterLocation: Oru Kultuurisaal
Running time: 50 min
18:30 - 19:20
Cactus Hotel
In the American Southwest, a towering Giant graces the skies, appearing lifeless but teeming with life as an iconic luxury hotel for desert creatures, each showcasing remarkable survival, hunting, and housing abilities; united by their encounters at the remarkable Cactus Hotel, the film unveils the enthralling tale of an old Saguaro cactus, its wild guests, unique habitats, and enduring tenants who call this spiky fortress home.
Director: Yann SochaczewskiLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 50 min
17:30 - 18:20
Nature's Magic Moments
Nature is full of surprises, but all too often they escape our perception. Amazing animal behavior often takes place in secret and happens so quickly that we can hardly see it. Christian Baumeister's film reveals what remains hidden from the human eye. State-of-the-art camera technology, impressive super slow motion and amazing time lapses magically stage kingfishers, brown hares, bats and co. in extraordinary moments. A feast for the senses and an unforgettable film experience for the whole family.
Director: Christian BaumeisterLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 50 min
13:00 - 13:52
A Rhino's Life
The shock of very first raindrops on a baby rhino's skin; horns, that may either be tender or inflict serious pain. Droughts, predators, mating acrobatics - a rhino's life is as full of surprises as it is rich with deep social bonds from the start. So is the close relationship between Malaika and her son Elias. For years, the two of them are inseparable. But Malaika is pregnant. When she finally goes into labor, nothing is the same anymore.
Director: Rosie Koch and Roland GockelLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 52 min
12:00 - 12:50
The secret Life of Seals
We are taken deep into the world of the seal. We are there when it’s born, when the fluffy white pup has its first swimming lesson. We are with the mother when the males fight and compete for her attentions. Most importantly we follow the seal underwater into its hidden domain.
Director: Johan CandertLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 50 min
Thursday
28.09.2023
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0019:30 - 20:20
Cactus Hotel
In the American Southwest, a towering Giant graces the skies, appearing lifeless but teeming with life as an iconic luxury hotel for desert creatures, each showcasing remarkable survival, hunting, and housing abilities; united by their encounters at the remarkable Cactus Hotel, the film unveils the enthralling tale of an old Saguaro cactus, its wild guests, unique habitats, and enduring tenants who call this spiky fortress home.
Director: Yann SochaczewskiLocation: Kilingi-Nõmme klubi
Running time: 50 min
19:00 - 19:28
Feathers or Glamour
With the beginning of the first corona wave in 2020, Estonia was hit by the real chicken boom. The apocalyptic tendencies in the air lead hundreds of people living in towns to start growing their own vegetables and keep chicken in backyards. For coreographer Veronika chicken stands for a glamourous companion with whom she can go to work and use in art projects as a nice decorative thing. Veronika calls herself “The Chicken Queen” and rides her pink vintage bike through Kopli district with the intention to insist neighbours to start keeping chicken as well. An anthropologist Tanel calls all his five chicken by human names and for him the birds are funny friends with whom he can make all kind of tricks - hypnotize them, make them swing on a chicken swing and teach them playing xylophone. Also is he interested of the very strict social hierarchy of chicken and likes to analyze the “school bullying” amongst chicken. For Mindi a chicken is a best friend with whom to lay down on sofa together in the evening and share her life, whom to pet and comb, sew diapers and build a special chicken house in the cellar. Mindi also knows a bit of a chicken language. The style of “Feathers or glamour” is mainly observational, although there will be 2-3 directed scenes. We depict the life a chicken in town - the beauty and glamour but also the dark sides of it - walking with chicken harness, living in a cage and wearing diapers.
Director: Eva KübarLocation: Kilingi-Nõmme klubi
Running time: 28 min
19:45 - 20:31
The Memory of Life
Through new epigenetic research, the film follows the growth of the Thale Cress plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) in their natural habitat, to the archives and to cell evolution. Thale Cresses shows us that life is shared by remembering. An poetic essay on an aspect of memory.
Director: Juhani HaukkaLocation: Viljandi Kogukonnakino
Running time: 46 min
10:30 - 10:52
Where do frogs come from?
The film "Where Do Frogs Come From?" observes the reproduction process of the two most common frog species in Northern Europe - the common frog and the common toad - from spring migration to the tadpole-to-frog transformation in high summer. Frog action takes place on land as well as on and under water. Things for the froggies do not always go without a hitch and they too struggle with miscalculations. There are misunderstandings and quarrels they endeavor to resolve. The life of tadpoles falls short of a carefree childhood and the little guys must resort to a variety of tricks to survive.
Director: Hannes RohtmaLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 22 min
Friday
29.09.2023
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0018:30 - 19:22
A White Dream
In love with images and the cold, the wildlife photographer Jérémie Villet travels alone through the white deserts of the northern hemisphere with his pulka and his telephoto lens, looking for animals that survive in extreme cold. During his upcoming expedition in the Canadian North, Jérémie is about to explore the wild and extreme Yukon region, with the ultimate goal of photographing the legendary mountain goat. The difficulty of access to the mountain territories where this animal dwells and the freezing temperatures will make the task challenging. Carried by adventures and unique human and animal encounters, this documentary allows gives us an an intimate view of this changing world.
Director: Mathieu Le LayLocation: Padise kloostri külastuskeskus
Running time: 52 min
17:00 - 17:50
The secret Life of Seals
We are taken deep into the world of the seal. We are there when it’s born, when the fluffy white pup has its first swimming lesson. We are with the mother when the males fight and compete for her attentions. Most importantly we follow the seal underwater into its hidden domain.
Director: Johan CandertLocation: Padise kloostri külastuskeskus
Running time: 50 min
Saturday
30.09.2023
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0017:45 - 18:51
New Pigs on the Block
Luc, Mia and Anja are pigs. They live on a piece of no man's land between a railway and a small parking lot on the edge of the city. They are the protagonists of a neighborhood project in which they are fed surplus food by a group of volunteers. At first, this appears to be an earthly paradise for pigs, where they receive human affection and where good food abounds. But their peaceful existence is increasingly disturbed by the world around them. As summer gradually turns into autumn, their pastures are falling into disrepair and the hierarchy between the pigs is becoming more and more grim.
Director: Jimmy KetsLocation: Padise rahvamaja
Running time: 66 min
15:45 - 16:45
The Illusion of Abundance
Three women share a common goal: Carolina, Bertha and Maxima are leading today's fight against modern conquistadors. Whereas governments and corporations, trapped in a global race towards unlimited growth, need to get the cheapest raw materials, these three women tell us a story of tireless courage: how to keep fighting to protect nature when your life is at risk? When police repression, corporate harassment, injuries or even death threats are part of your daily routine?
Director: Erika Gonzalez Ramirez & Matthieu LietaertLocation: Padise rahvamaja
Running time: 60 min
14:30 - 15:20
Nature's Magic Moments
Nature is full of surprises, but all too often they escape our perception. Amazing animal behavior often takes place in secret and happens so quickly that we can hardly see it. Christian Baumeister's film reveals what remains hidden from the human eye. State-of-the-art camera technology, impressive super slow motion and amazing time lapses magically stage kingfishers, brown hares, bats and co. in extraordinary moments. A feast for the senses and an unforgettable film experience for the whole family.
Director: Christian BaumeisterLocation: Padise rahvamaja
Running time: 50 min
12:00 - 12:50
Cactus Hotel
In the American Southwest, a towering Giant graces the skies, appearing lifeless but teeming with life as an iconic luxury hotel for desert creatures, each showcasing remarkable survival, hunting, and housing abilities; united by their encounters at the remarkable Cactus Hotel, the film unveils the enthralling tale of an old Saguaro cactus, its wild guests, unique habitats, and enduring tenants who call this spiky fortress home.
Director: Yann SochaczewskiLocation: Padise rahvamaja
Running time: 50 min
18:00 - 18:52
Woodpeckers: The Hole Story
Woodpeckers: The Hole Story goes deep into the woods to explore the lives of a unique avian family. All woodpeckers share some very special gifts – they are acutely adapted to life in the trees and are experts at working with wood.
Director: Ann Johnson PrumLocation: Kohila Gümnaasiumi auditoorium
Running time: 52 min
Sunday
01.10.2023
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0018:30 - 19:21
What is wilderness?
"What is Wilderness?" asks what wilderness actually is. We learn that the greatest biodiversity is where large grazing animals are part of the habitat. But the species-rich large animal fauna that once existed has disappeared from Europe with the appearance of modern Homo sapiens Domestic animals, when grazing in the right numbers and as a proxy for the extinct large herbivores, perform the identical "ecosystem engineering" services. This is an opportunity for our future and not only because wild pastures have been shown to store more carbon than forests. But where many natural processes take place, we can achieve a state there that resembles a wilderness. A NEW WILDERNESS perhaps; - but a wilderness that is good and important for biodiversity, animal welfare, climate, our land and for the future of mankind.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 51 min
16:30 - 18:00
Wolf
WOLF showcases unique footage of the wolf in the wild, giving an intimate insight into the real life of this wonderful animal, its strong family bonds, its positive influence on biodiversity and how remarkably similar they are to ‘man’s best friend’.
Director: Cees van KempenLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 90 min
15:00 - 15:52
Woodpeckers: The Hole Story
Woodpeckers: The Hole Story goes deep into the woods to explore the lives of a unique avian family. All woodpeckers share some very special gifts – they are acutely adapted to life in the trees and are experts at working with wood.
Director: Ann Johnson PrumLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 52 min
Wednesday
25.09.2024
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0013:00 - 13:52
Oh Deer!
This 100% animal documentary brings us closer to the deer through the seasons and the years, from its first steps as a fawn to its adulthood.
Director: Frank PizonLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
17:00 - 17:20
Magnifica: Passive Intruder
Magnifica is a short documentary about the encounters between Finnish cottage-owners and a mysterious species called Pectinatella Magnifica. The film observes the people facing the new alien phenomena and their attempts to get rid of the uninvited visitor. But some have a less prejudicial approach than others.
Director: Ville KoskinenLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 20 min
16:00 - 16:52
Lions of the Skeleton Coast
A true coming-of-age story about three orphaned desert lion cubs who discovered a most remarkable way of survival along the mystical shores of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. A story as surprising as it is inspiring: a true-life drama about resilience and survival. Documented over eight years, we follow the ground-breaking work of lion researcher Dr Philip Stander as he witnesses the orphaned cubs’ incredible journey, from their first unsteady steps in the heart of the desert, to their remarkable discovery of an extraordinary life along the hostile Skeleton Coast.
Director: Will and Lianne SteenkampLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
19:00 - 19:36
The Crane Dance
When wildlife films meets the performing arts. Director Maxence Lamoureux, in collaboration with choreographer and dancer Fiona Le Goff, takes you to meet the crane, whose courtship has inspired dances in cultures all around the world.
Director: Maxence LamoureuxLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 36 min
15:00 - 15:52
Namibia's Natural Wonders - Little Heroes, big Hunters
The Kalahari is a dry and barren desert that nevertheless offers a surprising diversity of species. One of the rare and fascinating creatures that live here is the Ground pangolin. It resembles a cute dinosaur and is the only mammal that wears horn scales. The meerkat watches its surroundings carefully and is always on the lookout for enemies. Together with its colony, it goes foraging and digs through the ground in search of treats. In the north-east of Namibia lie the great rivers. Here, a matriarch leads a herd of elephants. Elephant societies are very complex: mothers with their children, sisters and aunts with their own offspring. They all form a close-knit family herd. From the dry savannahs to the vast riverine landscapes: Namibia is the land of a thousand faces, wonders and stories. It is a world of little heroes and great hunters.
Director: Jens Westphalen / Thoralf GrospitzLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
14:00 - 14:52
The Storm - Wildlife in Wild Weather
When a heavy summer storm strikes Central Europe with gales, lightning, hail and torrential rain, how do the native animals find ways to endure it? In times of climate change, as weather extremes become more frequent and pose enormous challenges, humans aren’t the only ones impacted. The Storm follows the struggle of insects, storks, raccoons, foxes and moles when the weather turns against them. Breathtaking footage reveals how animals and plants react to the first warning signs, what surprising strategies they use to ride out the storm and sometimes even benefit from it.
Director: Michael R. Gärtner, Robin JähneLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
12:00 - 12:52
Parents in the Wild - Mating Games and Birth Days
In this film, directors Annette Scheurich and Moritz Mayerle offer a captivating glimpse into the love lives of “Parents in the Wild” worldwide. Highlighting the universal goal of providing offspring a strong start, the film explores the diverse mating and nesting rituals of mammals, insects, and birds, celebrating the intricate dance of love in the heart of the wilderness. Spectacular images showcase also the birth of squirrels, a grey seal pup and a flying fox fighting gravity in its upside-down world. "Parents in the Wild" is an entertaining visual feast that invites audiences to connect with the profound moments of wild parents in their quest for species conservation.
Director: Annette Scheurich & Moritz MayerleLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
10:00 - 10:50
Bearland
This stunning film explores the „land“ with the highest bear density on our planet - the remote coastal regions of Northeast Asia. From the Bering Sea, where massive polar bears go without a meal for months on end, to the fish-rich coasts of the Pacific Ocean, where enormous brown bears await the annual flood of salmon, sometimes feasting, at other times driven to attack their own. And in the enigmatic forests of the Sea of Japan, the Asiatic black bear may find itself pursued by a deadly foe – the tiger. The film reveals the challenges bears must overcome, to show just what amazing survivors they are, from spending half their lives in a troubled, hungry sleep, to the rest of the time hunting ingeniously for food. Bears are often seen as dangerous, aggressive thieves. But there is a lot more to the bear than meets the eye!
Director: Henry M. MixLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
17:00 - 18:30
A Life Among Elephants
A contemporary of researchers Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey - Iain Douglas-Hamilton is regarded by many as the pioneer of behavioural field-based African elephant research. In fact, much of what we now know about elephant society and movements stems from his pioneering research in Tanzania in the 1960s. Douglas-Hamilton then swapped research for conservation when he led a passionate crusade against the ivory trade in the 70s and 80s and went on to set up global charity SAVE THE ELEPHANTS in the 1990s. With exceptional access, newly discovered archive and emotional and passionate interviewees, the film follows Iain as he re-visits his action-packed life.
Director: Nigel PopeLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 90 min
15:30 - 16:40
Axe
Ukrainian State Forest guard Pavlovych manages logging brigades that fulfill state, private and illegal orders. Pavlovych believes in doing the right thing while being part of the corrupted system himself. He loves the forest, but he also feels that he owns it. While Pavlovych finds out that someone from his team steals the trees, the next season of rain is coming… How comfortable is to sit on a branch you are cutting off?
Director: Volodymyr BakumLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 70 min
14:05 - 15:22
The World According to My Dad
The documentary film, The World According to My Dad, captures the joint dream of a material physicist and his artist daughter for an effective solution to save the planet. Together, and with humour, they venture into many different platforms where no one is expecting or welcoming of them. On their journey, they try to navigate their way not only around the world of climate politics and the powers behind it but also with each other.
Director: Marta KovářováLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 77 min
13:00 - 13:57
Savage Beauty - The World's greatest Light Installation
Underdog Finnish light artist Kari Kola attempts the impossible: creating the world's largest light installation on a mountain in Ireland's rugged Connemara region. Commissioned by the city of Galway for the European Capital of Culture 2020 program, Kari pushes the boundaries of the possible, aiming for something truly "big." Inspired by Oscar Wilde's description of the region, he sets out to illuminate the entire mountain, transforming it into a breathtaking spectacle. Kari's journey is not just about the art; it's a testament to overcoming personal challenges. Throughout his life, his hyperactive nature and mathematical brilliance often led to misunderstandings. Yet, Kari's unwavering belief in the impossible fuels his determination to bring his vision to life. This documentary delves into the heart of this underdog artist, showcasing his struggle, his unique perspective, and his ultimate triumph in creating a luminous masterpiece.
Director: Janne TanskanenLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 57 min
Thursday
26.09.2024
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0020:30 - 21:00
Bulunkul
Located on the Pamir highlands in Tajikistan, Bulunkul is a village left to its fate since the collapse of the Soviet Union. As winter approaches, the inhabitants organize their survival.
Director: Marie-Violaine Brincard & Olivier DuryLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 30 min
17:00 - 17:53
The Nile Dam: A Dangerous Power Game
Source of life for over 300 million people, the Nile has been at the heart of power struggles for control of its water. For the past 10 years, Ethiopia’s construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam, the largest dam ever built in Africa, has poisoned relations between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan, and shaped the geopolitics of the region. This film gathers rare testimonies from a border region torn apart by armed conflict, where violence and massacres have scarred local communities already displaced by the construction of the dam.
Director: Sara CretaLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 53 min
14:00 - 14:23
Dams - Damage to Estonian Rivers
The concrete dams built on Estonian rivers during the Soviet Union have reduced the number of migratory fish in the rivers to a critical level at times. For the past three years, the State Forest Management Centre, together with Põlula Fish Rearing Centre has been working on the removal of dams and relocating fish to the salmon rivers. This film shows the effect of dams on the spawning of migratory fish and what the river will look like after the dam is removed
Director: Sander Sandberg, Laur-Leho KaljumetsLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 23 min
21:05 - 21:43
Piblokto
On the Arctic Ocean coast of Chukotka live a people cut off from the world. Their life revolves around hunting walruses and whales and protecting villages from bears coming from the tundra. This theme turns the film into a reflection on death. Marine animals become the primary source of food for the people, animal leftovers are used to feed arctic foxes on a fur farm, human cemeteries become targets for bears. It appears that all the inhabitants of this region are involved in the cycle of food and death. The film departs from the typical rhythmic structure of cinema and instead adopts the structure of a shamanic ritual, which is a meaning-forming event for the northern peoples.
Director: Anastasia Shubina, Timofey GlininLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 38 min
13:30 - 13:52
Restoration of Mires - From Theory to Practice
In Estonia, hundreds of thousands of hectares of bogs have been drained for various purposes. This film introduces the work of the State Forest Management Center in the restoration of bogs and shows what needs to be done to make the residual bogs a suitable habitat again for the species there.
Director: Ants Tammik, Mihkel JärveojaLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 22 min
19:00 - 20:21
This Is Our Everything
The Guajajara people decide not to stand idly by while their land and that of the uncontacted Awá people is being destroyed. They put together a group of forest guardians who are determined to defend the Amazon rainforest - if necessary with their own lives. Without any support from the government, they patrol one of the last remaining rainforests in the state of Maranhão, east of the Amazon in Brazil. They also share their land with the Awá, one of the last uncontacted people in the world, who are under great threat. Poor equipment, no pay and the constant threat of the logging mafia does not deter them from standing up for their land. But their work is dangerous. Olimpio, the leader, has a price on his head.
Director: Frederik SubeiLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 81 min
18:00 - 18:39
Dog Eater
The documentary "Dog Eater" explores a border village in North Khorasan where tranquility is shattered by the disappearance of dogs and the fear instilled by a brazen panther. Villagers, instead of taking drastic measures, seek help from environmental authorities and experts. After ten days of struggle, they capture an old panther, shedding light on the mystery behind the dog-eating behavior. However, an unfortunate incident occurs after the panther is transported to Tehran, adding a tragic twist to the story.
Director: Fathollah Amiri, Nima AsgariLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 39 min
15:00 - 16:31
The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery
The fascinating true story about remarkable people tackling an exotic species invasion that nearly destroyed the largest freshwater ecosystem on Earth: the Great Lakes. The silent predator devastated jobs and businesses, threatening the survival of cities, towns and indigenous communities across the region. The film traces how tenacious scientists identified the menace then struggled to control it. Their work continues to influence the Great Lakes region’s economic fortunes and sounds a warning about how invasive species threaten the future of vital natural resources and the prosperity of millions around the world today.
Director: Thomas Lindsey HaskinLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 91 min
12:45 - 13:20
Water Lost and Returned
An emotional artistic documentary about the return of wetlands to the landscape of the Šumava National Park. The unique shots of Radek Plíhal, captured during a three-year filming in the fascinating environment of Šumava, completed with the music of Lenka Dusilová and Petr Ostrouchov, tell the story of water. The story of her journey starting in the forest springs, wet meadows and bogs, passing through the streams to the river floodplain. The story of her deliberate damnation not long ago and the efforts of hundreds of people to bring it back. The film depicts the fundamental importance of water for the landscape, nature and for the unceasingly diverse life it brings.
Director: Radek PlihalLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 35 min
20:30 - 22:04
Grasshopper Republic
Every rainy season, deep in the mountain forests of western Uganda, one of the world’s greatest natural phenomenon takes place. Millions, sometimes billions, of Long-horned Grasshoppers swarm together to mate in a rarely-filmed reminder of Nature’s epic scale. As if to underline the magic fickleness of this spectacle, these living clouds can descend for a moment before vanishing into the night as quickly as they came. It follows that Man has found a way to profit from this beautiful reproductive cycle. Harvesting grasshoppers in rural Uganda is a seriously lucrative business; fortunes are made in a matter of weeks providing this seasonal delicacy to hungry city-dwellers in the lowlands. Comprehensively filmed over the course of three seasons, Grasshopper Republic (which is also the locally-given name for the region) follows a local trapping team in strict verité style, as these modern-day prospectors push into remote forests and villages seeking their fortune by capturing this illusive prey by the barrel load. We witness massive generators being hauled up collapsing mudbanks. Light posts are erected with chemically treated bulbs, casting a lurid neon green pall over the tree canopy, irresistibly attracting the swarm to their corrugated iron traps. In deliberate contrast to this dystopian imposition, specialized macro cameras simultaneously transport the audience into an immersive natural world on a level with the perspective of the grasshoppers. A parade of frame-filling bugs heightens this magnified reality – accentuating the bizarrely human-like qualities of these insects while also highlighting the peril that lies behind every leaf. The risk to the human hunters is all-too real as well. As our metaphor on Man’s fraught relationship with Nature continues to unfold we learn the harrowing cost that these toxic lights bestow upon our band of trappers and their homeland. A scorched earth of skin disease and ruined crops reveals the downside of this gold rush.
Director: Daniel McCabeLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 94 min
14:00 - 14:36
The Crane Dance
When wildlife films meets the performing arts. Director Maxence Lamoureux, in collaboration with choreographer and dancer Fiona Le Goff, takes you to meet the crane, whose courtship has inspired dances in cultures all around the world.
Director: Maxence LamoureuxLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 36 min
13:00 - 13:52
A Cheetah's Pride - EP2: Struggle to Survive
This is a cheetah family like no other. Nine cubs and two mothers, who against all odds have kept all these cubs alive in South Africa’s Samara Karoo Reserve. Their true story began with a chance meeting of Inara and her four cubs and Chilli with her five. Now cubs suckle from different mothers, and mothers raise each other’s cubs. Chilli and Inara are themselves, mother and daughter. But adult female cheetahs are solitary animals. This family breaks all the rules. Inara has recently lost the family. For now, all nine cubs are under Chilli’s care. Alone for weeks, Inara has gone back into estrous. She’s now searching for a mate. The family’s future is uncertain and more precarious than ever before.
Director: Hansa WinshawLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
19:00 - 20:20
Apple Cider Vinegar
Stones are at once the most foundational and the most overlooked parts of our lifeworld. When a retired nature documentary narrator passes a kidney stone, she decides to tell one more story about this forgotten world of stone . A hypnotic essay film asking urgent ecological questions, Apple Cider Vinegar takes the viewer on a journey meeting Palestinian quarry workers, passionate Britisch Geologist and People living on the lava fields of Fogo.
Director: Sofie BenootLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 80 min
17:00 - 18:26
Vertical Money
"Vertical Money" is a nature catastrophe film that made scandalous news even before it’s release in Estonia. Shot in more than 60 different places in Estonia the film opens the viewer to the current state of Estonian forests and shows how political decisions have affected the use of the common property. The film also offers solutions to move out of the deadlock of the debate and directs attention to the information that has been buried under the messages of controlled communication in the information noise of the forest war. The same kind of war that's being held across the globe.
Director: Martti HeldeLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 86 min
15:30 - 16:43
La Macchina Fissa - Clark's Garden
Macchina Fissa was the name given to the pumps used to drain swamp water and irrigate agricultural land in the Po Valley. South of Mantua, in Borgo Virgilio, just beyond the banks of the Mincio River, is a pumping station built in the mid-1800s. Once operated by steam engines, it’s been in disuse for a century and is now home to the cultural association Reading Retreats in Rural Italy and Clark Lawrence’s garden. The garden is inhabited predominantly by annual plants, which, at the end of their growth cycle in late autumn, flaunt their expired vitality and their beauty even when dried out. Winter is the time for Clark to harvest seeds for the next season and carry out a vigorous garden clean-up, assisted in his enterprise by the beloved goats that clear away the remaining vegetation and actively contribute to fertilizing the garden. In spring, the sowing of new plants begins. Most loved by Clark are American plants, or rather, those of the Native Americans: pumpkins, corn, and beans, which populate the garden, together with castor oil plants, amaranths, cosmos, evening primroses, ipomoeas, and hundreds of other varieties. The documentary follows Clark in his work and his philosophy of a garden as a place in which to “swim among the plants”. A garden designed “…by looking outside at what surrounds it: the landscape, plants, climate, and manmade constructions. Looking outside first and then thinking about what to do inside”.
Director: Emilio Neri TremoladaLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 73 min
15:00 - 15:22
Unwavering
Embark on a cinematic adventure through the frozen expanse of the Arctic as the fascinating story of muskoxen is unveiled. Set against a landscape painted in shades of ice and snow, the documentary explores the strength and beauty of muskoxen living in hash winter conditions. They stand as silent witnesses coming from another time. Delving into the heart of their world, the film unravels the challenges posed by the harsh environment and the extraordinary resilience of these mighty creatures.
Director: Chris SchmidLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 22 min
12:00 - 12:44
Flowing Freely - In the River of Life
Rivers can become a danger. This has been demonstrated by the flood disasters of recent years. Often because their natural course is itself endangered - straightened, channelled or dammed. This film tells of the amazing connections in a river that is still allowed to be a river of life. A river that can flow untamed and create. Here, otters, dragonflies, little ringed plovers and catfish are all links in a chain. Of life and death. There are no "disasters" in the river. As long as nothing flows in that doesn't belong there and destroys the natural balance.
Director: Uwe MüllerLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 44 min
10:00 - 10:44
Flowing Freely - In the River of Life
Rivers can become a danger. This has been demonstrated by the flood disasters of recent years. Often because their natural course is itself endangered - straightened, channelled or dammed. This film tells of the amazing connections in a river that is still allowed to be a river of life. A river that can flow untamed and create. Here, otters, dragonflies, little ringed plovers and catfish are all links in a chain. Of life and death. There are no "disasters" in the river. As long as nothing flows in that doesn't belong there and destroys the natural balance.
Director: Uwe MüllerLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 44 min
Friday
27.09.2024
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0014:00 - 15:20
Apple Cider Vinegar
Stones are at once the most foundational and the most overlooked parts of our lifeworld. When a retired nature documentary narrator passes a kidney stone, she decides to tell one more story about this forgotten world of stone . A hypnotic essay film asking urgent ecological questions, Apple Cider Vinegar takes the viewer on a journey meeting Palestinian quarry workers, passionate Britisch Geologist and People living on the lava fields of Fogo.
Director: Sofie BenootLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 80 min
20:00 - 21:34
Grasshopper Republic
Every rainy season, deep in the mountain forests of western Uganda, one of the world’s greatest natural phenomenon takes place. Millions, sometimes billions, of Long-horned Grasshoppers swarm together to mate in a rarely-filmed reminder of Nature’s epic scale. As if to underline the magic fickleness of this spectacle, these living clouds can descend for a moment before vanishing into the night as quickly as they came. It follows that Man has found a way to profit from this beautiful reproductive cycle. Harvesting grasshoppers in rural Uganda is a seriously lucrative business; fortunes are made in a matter of weeks providing this seasonal delicacy to hungry city-dwellers in the lowlands. Comprehensively filmed over the course of three seasons, Grasshopper Republic (which is also the locally-given name for the region) follows a local trapping team in strict verité style, as these modern-day prospectors push into remote forests and villages seeking their fortune by capturing this illusive prey by the barrel load. We witness massive generators being hauled up collapsing mudbanks. Light posts are erected with chemically treated bulbs, casting a lurid neon green pall over the tree canopy, irresistibly attracting the swarm to their corrugated iron traps. In deliberate contrast to this dystopian imposition, specialized macro cameras simultaneously transport the audience into an immersive natural world on a level with the perspective of the grasshoppers. A parade of frame-filling bugs heightens this magnified reality – accentuating the bizarrely human-like qualities of these insects while also highlighting the peril that lies behind every leaf. The risk to the human hunters is all-too real as well. As our metaphor on Man’s fraught relationship with Nature continues to unfold we learn the harrowing cost that these toxic lights bestow upon our band of trappers and their homeland. A scorched earth of skin disease and ruined crops reveals the downside of this gold rush.
Director: Daniel McCabeLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 94 min
18:00 - 19:21
A Call from the Wild
Filmmaker Asgeir Helgestad documents the state of nature at his home country Norway, where he has photographed all his life. From the lives of bees at his farm, to wild reindeer on the high mountains, and puffins at the ocean’s edge, he shows the beauty of threatened nature and tracks down human actions responsible for its decline. This is a personal story on our connection with the non-human world, the relations between the small and the big, and a reminder of nature’s strength and vulnerability.
Director: Asgeir HelgestadLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 81 min
16:00 - 17:27
Wild Port of Europe - Nature on the Edge
Hedgehogs, polecats, lesser black-backed gulls, kestrels, rabbits and even seals and exotic Chinese mitten crabs. Wild Port of Europe – Nature on the edge takes you into the unexpected story of these and other animals living in Europe’s largest and busiest port area. In a landscape where humans are constantly changing everything, amid the steel factories, storage tanks, container ships, giant cranes and sprawling railroad lines, the animals seize their opportunities and often make remarkable choices in the process. While Wild Port of Europe shows that survival in such a highly industrialized environment is a life on the edge for wildlife, the film also mirrors nature’s challenges back to the human world, for we share a mutual uncertain future.
Director: Willem BerentsLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 87 min
13:00 - 13:50
Welcome to the Forest - Mind the Gap
Jan Haft presents the natural processes in a forest in which man no longer bends a branch of a tree. If a former timber plantation is left to nature, trees sometimes die in times of climate change. A strange circumstance then always becomes apparent: what was once a relatively monotonous forest first has to be "destroyed" by storms and beetles for biodiversity to explode. A circumstance that has to do with the light that is now available. At the end, the film describes what happens when a new, resilient forest grows. And what consequences this has for nature.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
12:00 - 12:50
Welcome to the Forest - The Puzzle of Life
The film depicts the fascinating connections between the creatures in the forest and explains the perfect cycle of nature, where the various small and large species form a huge network. It turns out that the forest is by no means just the realm of trees, but also a world of animals.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
10:00 - 10:52
Oh Deer!
This 100% animal documentary brings us closer to the deer through the seasons and the years, from its first steps as a fawn to its adulthood.
Director: Frank PizonLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
14:30 - 15:33
The Kukang Movie: A Story about Slow Lorises and People
Go behind the scenes of The Kukang Rescue Program in an authentic time-lapse documentary about wildlife conservation, determination, successes, failures and friendship. The documentary does not lack views of hills covered with pristine forests as well as the chaos of noisy cities or shots of rare animals not only in the wild but also in crowded cages at animal markets, where filming is rarely possible. The serious topics and problems of Indonesia’s nature are interspersed with the authors’ often funny clashes with the country’s peculiar culture and crazy filming experiences. All this and much more is "The Kukang Movie: A Story about Slow Lorises and People" that you cannot miss!
Director: Ondřej SmékalLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 63 min
13:00 - 14:14
Nenets vs Gas
In the heart of the Arctic, the Yamal peninsula is the world’s largest gas exploitation zone, a symbol of Russia’s energy hyperpower. The NENETS have been pasturing here for over 200 generations. Can they survive this industrialisation? An environmental and Arctic western, this film explore the emergence of the Northern Sea Route and the disappearance of the last Siberian route of transhumance: the success of one may mean the extinction of the other.
Director: Sergio GhizzardiLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 74 min
18:00 - 18:52
Raptors - A fistful of Daggers - EP2: Extreme Lives
Birds of prey are our planet’s greatest hunters. United by a hooked beak, taste for flesh and razor-sharp talons, they have conquered the globe. This film tells the story of raptor’s unparalleled success. From familiar favourites to entirely new characters, we reveal the latest discoveries alongside extraordinary behaviours. We discover how birds of prey perfect the art of the hunt and how they adapt to the toughest environments. We also ask what the future holds for these remarkable birds in a rapidly changing world.
Director: Matt HamiltonLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
16:00 - 16:50
Secrets of the Enchanted Forests - Mountains
In this film, learn how forests connect and nurture the lives of countless species. Climb into a realm of thin air and towering rock. Tag along as mythical monkeys battle for a winter food stash, sing along with lemurs in a fruit-filled tree canopy and watch an aromatic tree bring together blossom and possum in a moonlit tryst.
Director: Andrew ZikkingLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
17:00 - 17:50
Gladiators - Wild Coast
Across the planet, there are animals born to fight and destined to face their foe. Armed with weaponry, guile and tactics, these gladiators are destined to do battle. Some are fighting for territory; others for access to food or a mate; but ALL are fighting for the ultimate prize – survival. Gladiators unlocks the dramatic secrets and ingenious strategies of the animals in four iconic geographic regions. Each region serves as a breath-taking backdrop and gladiatorial arena for the battles that unfold within them. These battles will shape the destinies of all our characters, whether victorious or defeated. Only champions will reign supreme. In this episode, go up against Australia’s wiliest gladiators and their impressive arsenals. Learn if these weapons, such as the kangaroo’s deadly boxing moves and the redback spider’s precision-engineered traps, can help them survive the ravages of climate change.
Director: Will BensonLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
19:00 - 19:48
Guardians of The Houm Tree
Fishermen in a distant village are trying to catch a special fish that has something worth of gold inside its stomach. In legends, this special fish is the protector of the tree of life.
Director: Mohsen BakhtyarLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 48 min
20:00 - 21:38
Rhino Man
"Rhino Man" is the true story of the courageous field rangers who risk their lives every day to protect South Africa's rhinos from being poached to extinction. We follow Anton Mzimba, the head ranger of the Timbavati, as he protects the rhinos. He faces long deployments, dangerous working conditions, and constant threats to his life. Nearby, a legendary trainer, Ruben de Kock, struggles to inspire a group of 41 candidates, as he takes them through a rigorous ranger selection. Tragedy strikes when Anton is assassinated at home by a poaching syndicate. Ruben laments the loss of his friend. Prince William and the international community cry out for justice. We're left with Anton's hopeful message, and the determination of the rangers who vow to carry his torch.
Director: John Jurko II, Matt Lindenberg, Daniel RobertsLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 98 min
11:00 - 11:51
The Island of the Giant Mothers
No other place in Africa has such a concentration of nesting green sea turtles. Up to 40.000 specimens of this endangered and gigantic species, which can weigh more than 200kg, come here every season to build nests and lay their eggs. On only 2 km of beach, they make more than 60.000 nests. After hatching, thousands and thousands of tiny turtles leave this small island every year.
Director: Carlos Pérez RomeroLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
Saturday
28.09.2024
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0009:30 - 10:43
La Macchina Fissa - Clark's Garden
Macchina Fissa was the name given to the pumps used to drain swamp water and irrigate agricultural land in the Po Valley. South of Mantua, in Borgo Virgilio, just beyond the banks of the Mincio River, is a pumping station built in the mid-1800s. Once operated by steam engines, it’s been in disuse for a century and is now home to the cultural association Reading Retreats in Rural Italy and Clark Lawrence’s garden. The garden is inhabited predominantly by annual plants, which, at the end of their growth cycle in late autumn, flaunt their expired vitality and their beauty even when dried out. Winter is the time for Clark to harvest seeds for the next season and carry out a vigorous garden clean-up, assisted in his enterprise by the beloved goats that clear away the remaining vegetation and actively contribute to fertilizing the garden. In spring, the sowing of new plants begins. Most loved by Clark are American plants, or rather, those of the Native Americans: pumpkins, corn, and beans, which populate the garden, together with castor oil plants, amaranths, cosmos, evening primroses, ipomoeas, and hundreds of other varieties. The documentary follows Clark in his work and his philosophy of a garden as a place in which to “swim among the plants”. A garden designed “…by looking outside at what surrounds it: the landscape, plants, climate, and manmade constructions. Looking outside first and then thinking about what to do inside”.
Director: Emilio Neri TremoladaLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 73 min
13:00 - 13:20
Magnifica: Passive Intruder
Magnifica is a short documentary about the encounters between Finnish cottage-owners and a mysterious species called Pectinatella Magnifica. The film observes the people facing the new alien phenomena and their attempts to get rid of the uninvited visitor. But some have a less prejudicial approach than others.
Director: Ville KoskinenLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 20 min
13:30 - 14:25
My Sweden - A Changing Wilderness
Wildlife filmmaker Zoltán Török has chosen Sweden as his home. Two decades after he started his career here, he embarks on a journey with his family. They want to see how their beloved Nordic country’s nature has shifted since they first arrived. It’s an emotional odyssey across Sweden with remarkable wildlife encounters - while Zoltán’s family is changing too...
Director: Zoltán TörökLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 55 min
15:00 - 15:58
Operation Saimaa Seal
"Operation Saimaa Seal" is a documentary film about the Saimaa ringed seal, its captivating habitat in Lake Saimaa, and the unwavering efforts of researchers who aim to save this critically endangered species. Climate change poses a grim future for the Saimaa ringed seal. The seal requires snow and ice to reproduce, but in the future there may not be snow nor ice on Lake Saimaa during winters. What will happen to the seal when climate change threatens to destroy its living conditions? Researchers have a solution: seal boxes. But what kind of artificial nest will the seal accept as its home?
Director: Petteri SaarioLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 58 min
12:00 - 12:51
Vietnam´s Mysterious North
One word, above all, defines Vietnam: unique. It´s home to many animal species that are found nowhere else on Earth. However, humans are claiming more and more land for their own purposes, displacing the animals and endangering their existence. As civilisation encroaches on the wilderness, the animals find themselves trapped. For now, some refuges remain. Remote, untamed habitats, like the mysterious mountain rainforests of north Vietnam.
Director: Heike Grebe, Johannes Berger, Michael Riegler, Stephan KrasserLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
11:00 - 11:52
A Cheetah's Pride - EP2: Struggle to Survive
This is a cheetah family like no other. Nine cubs and two mothers, who against all odds have kept all these cubs alive in South Africa’s Samara Karoo Reserve. Their true story began with a chance meeting of Inara and her four cubs and Chilli with her five. Now cubs suckle from different mothers, and mothers raise each other’s cubs. Chilli and Inara are themselves, mother and daughter. But adult female cheetahs are solitary animals. This family breaks all the rules. Inara has recently lost the family. For now, all nine cubs are under Chilli’s care. Alone for weeks, Inara has gone back into estrous. She’s now searching for a mate. The family’s future is uncertain and more precarious than ever before.
Director: Hansa WinshawLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
15:15 - 16:26
The Researcher
Gianluca Grimalda lost his job for having refused to catch a plane. Hi did an act of civil disobedience to save 5 tons of CO2. Was it worth it?
Director: Paolo CasalisLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 71 min
13:30 - 15:01
Stick Together
The film delves into the world of radical climate activism in an intimate way. Filmmaker Felix Maria Bühler accompanies his five protagonists for a year. He goes with them on actions and gives an insight into the climate movements in Germany. The activists are faced with an important decision: How far are they prepared to go for their ideals?
Director: Felix Maria BühlerLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 91 min
16:40 - 17:08
At The Water´s Edge
Ulvi has lived almost her entire life in the Soomaa National Park in the middle of a deep forest and pristine nature. Even though the river next to her house is getting to the house every year due to the subsidence of the bank and the living conditions at home are becoming more difficult, Ulvi does not intend to leave her childhood home. What keeps her here are the Tori horses, whom she has raised for decades. Also she wants to continue with her special lifestyle, which she could have only in Soomaa.
Director: Mirjam MatiisenLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 28 min
10:00 - 11:29
Of Children and Trees
Of Children and Trees immerses in a forest school for a year and observes the schoolchildren as they play and learn. 30 children from kindergarten to 2nd grade spend day after day here, in sunshine, rain and snow. They explore the forest on their own, experience the cycle of nature and seek their role in the community. Here they find a living environment that allows them to develop personal responsibility, courage, imagination and creativity and to behave spontaneously and empathetically towards their fellow human beings and other creatures in this world.
Director: Natalie PfisterLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 89 min
12:00 - 13:03
Defenseless Mountain
"Defenseless Mountains" follows the inspiring journey of Amir Hamzeh, a rural elder committed to safeguarding the endangered Gareen Mountains in Iran. With no governmental protection, Hamzeh faces numerous dangers as he employs indigenous methods to protect the local wildlife. The documentary takes a thrilling turn when rumors surface about the return of a rare brown bear species after half a century, reshaping the goals of local residents and environmental organizations. To realize these aspirations, Hamzeh must successfully prove the bears' presence in the Gareen Mountains.
Director: Mostafa GandomkarLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 63 min
Sunday
29.09.2024
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0016:30 - 18:04
Grasshopper Republic
Every rainy season, deep in the mountain forests of western Uganda, one of the world’s greatest natural phenomenon takes place. Millions, sometimes billions, of Long-horned Grasshoppers swarm together to mate in a rarely-filmed reminder of Nature’s epic scale. As if to underline the magic fickleness of this spectacle, these living clouds can descend for a moment before vanishing into the night as quickly as they came. It follows that Man has found a way to profit from this beautiful reproductive cycle. Harvesting grasshoppers in rural Uganda is a seriously lucrative business; fortunes are made in a matter of weeks providing this seasonal delicacy to hungry city-dwellers in the lowlands. Comprehensively filmed over the course of three seasons, Grasshopper Republic (which is also the locally-given name for the region) follows a local trapping team in strict verité style, as these modern-day prospectors push into remote forests and villages seeking their fortune by capturing this illusive prey by the barrel load. We witness massive generators being hauled up collapsing mudbanks. Light posts are erected with chemically treated bulbs, casting a lurid neon green pall over the tree canopy, irresistibly attracting the swarm to their corrugated iron traps. In deliberate contrast to this dystopian imposition, specialized macro cameras simultaneously transport the audience into an immersive natural world on a level with the perspective of the grasshoppers. A parade of frame-filling bugs heightens this magnified reality – accentuating the bizarrely human-like qualities of these insects while also highlighting the peril that lies behind every leaf. The risk to the human hunters is all-too real as well. As our metaphor on Man’s fraught relationship with Nature continues to unfold we learn the harrowing cost that these toxic lights bestow upon our band of trappers and their homeland. A scorched earth of skin disease and ruined crops reveals the downside of this gold rush.
Director: Daniel McCabeLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 94 min
15:30 - 16:22
Lions of the Skeleton Coast
A true coming-of-age story about three orphaned desert lion cubs who discovered a most remarkable way of survival along the mystical shores of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. A story as surprising as it is inspiring: a true-life drama about resilience and survival. Documented over eight years, we follow the ground-breaking work of lion researcher Dr Philip Stander as he witnesses the orphaned cubs’ incredible journey, from their first unsteady steps in the heart of the desert, to their remarkable discovery of an extraordinary life along the hostile Skeleton Coast.
Director: Will and Lianne SteenkampLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
14:00 - 15:20
Apple Cider Vinegar
Stones are at once the most foundational and the most overlooked parts of our lifeworld. When a retired nature documentary narrator passes a kidney stone, she decides to tell one more story about this forgotten world of stone . A hypnotic essay film asking urgent ecological questions, Apple Cider Vinegar takes the viewer on a journey meeting Palestinian quarry workers, passionate Britisch Geologist and People living on the lava fields of Fogo.
Director: Sofie BenootLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 80 min
13:00 - 13:50
Welcome to the Forest - Mind the Gap
Jan Haft presents the natural processes in a forest in which man no longer bends a branch of a tree. If a former timber plantation is left to nature, trees sometimes die in times of climate change. A strange circumstance then always becomes apparent: what was once a relatively monotonous forest first has to be "destroyed" by storms and beetles for biodiversity to explode. A circumstance that has to do with the light that is now available. At the end, the film describes what happens when a new, resilient forest grows. And what consequences this has for nature.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
12:00 - 12:52
Namibia's Natural Wonders - Little Heroes, big Hunters
The Kalahari is a dry and barren desert that nevertheless offers a surprising diversity of species. One of the rare and fascinating creatures that live here is the Ground pangolin. It resembles a cute dinosaur and is the only mammal that wears horn scales. The meerkat watches its surroundings carefully and is always on the lookout for enemies. Together with its colony, it goes foraging and digs through the ground in search of treats. In the north-east of Namibia lie the great rivers. Here, a matriarch leads a herd of elephants. Elephant societies are very complex: mothers with their children, sisters and aunts with their own offspring. They all form a close-knit family herd. From the dry savannahs to the vast riverine landscapes: Namibia is the land of a thousand faces, wonders and stories. It is a world of little heroes and great hunters.
Director: Jens Westphalen / Thoralf GrospitzLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
11:00 - 11:44
Flowing Freely - In the River of Life
Rivers can become a danger. This has been demonstrated by the flood disasters of recent years. Often because their natural course is itself endangered - straightened, channelled or dammed. This film tells of the amazing connections in a river that is still allowed to be a river of life. A river that can flow untamed and create. Here, otters, dragonflies, little ringed plovers and catfish are all links in a chain. Of life and death. There are no "disasters" in the river. As long as nothing flows in that doesn't belong there and destroys the natural balance.
Director: Uwe MüllerLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 44 min
10:00 - 10:55
My Sweden - A Changing Wilderness
Wildlife filmmaker Zoltán Török has chosen Sweden as his home. Two decades after he started his career here, he embarks on a journey with his family. They want to see how their beloved Nordic country’s nature has shifted since they first arrived. It’s an emotional odyssey across Sweden with remarkable wildlife encounters - while Zoltán’s family is changing too...
Director: Zoltán TörökLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 55 min
16:00 - 16:52
Winter Harvest
In the heart of winter, determined vegetable growers brave the cold by cultivating in greenhouses with little or no heating. Winter Harvest chronicles the daily lives of these pioneers who achieve the nearly-impossible feat of offering fresh locally grown vegetables year-round.
Director: Amélie DussaultLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
11:00 - 12:48
Biocentrics
A documentary that delves into the intricate connections among all living organisms and underscores the critical need to preserve biodiversity. Featuring breathtaking visuals and insightful interviews with scientists and environmentalists, the film showcases the biomimicry design methodology and emphasizes the urgent necessity of adopting a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with nature.
Director: Fernanda Heinz Figueiredo & Ataliba BenaimLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 108 min
13:00 - 14:08
Documerica, Self-portrait of a Nation on the Brink
A handful of photographers look back on the Documerica Project, a long-forgotten epic photo survey of the American environment launched in the early 1970s at the height of environmental awareness. Embodying a moment of truth in a country that had reached the limits of its American Dream, the images of Documerica bear witness to a missed meeting with History. And beyond that, they announce the world in which we live today.
Director: Pierre-François DidekLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 68 min
14:30 - 15:42
Rowdy Girl
Unable to come to terms with the cruel reality of animal agriculture, a former Texas cattle rancher goes vegan and transforms her husband's beef operation into a farmed animal sanctuary. When their story goes viral, she realizes her true calling: to help farmers transition to plant-based and end their business of animal agriculture. "Rowdy Girl" showcases the inspiring work of an animal activist who has been on both sides and proves that there is a common ground between farmers and vegans - a shared mission of compassion and sustainability.
Director: Jason GoldmanLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 72 min
Monday
30.09.2024
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0013:15 - 14:05
Welcome to the Forest - Mind the Gap
Jan Haft presents the natural processes in a forest in which man no longer bends a branch of a tree. If a former timber plantation is left to nature, trees sometimes die in times of climate change. A strange circumstance then always becomes apparent: what was once a relatively monotonous forest first has to be "destroyed" by storms and beetles for biodiversity to explode. A circumstance that has to do with the light that is now available. At the end, the film describes what happens when a new, resilient forest grows. And what consequences this has for nature.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Mihkli Farm Museum (Saaremaa)
Running time: 50 min
Tuesday
01.10.2024
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0012:30 - 13:22
Namibia's Natural Wonders - Little Heroes, big Hunters
The Kalahari is a dry and barren desert that nevertheless offers a surprising diversity of species. One of the rare and fascinating creatures that live here is the Ground pangolin. It resembles a cute dinosaur and is the only mammal that wears horn scales. The meerkat watches its surroundings carefully and is always on the lookout for enemies. Together with its colony, it goes foraging and digs through the ground in search of treats. In the north-east of Namibia lie the great rivers. Here, a matriarch leads a herd of elephants. Elephant societies are very complex: mothers with their children, sisters and aunts with their own offspring. They all form a close-knit family herd. From the dry savannahs to the vast riverine landscapes: Namibia is the land of a thousand faces, wonders and stories. It is a world of little heroes and great hunters.
Director: Jens Westphalen / Thoralf GrospitzLocation: Rakvere Eragümnaasium
Running time: 52 min
10:15 - 11:05
Bearland
This stunning film explores the „land“ with the highest bear density on our planet - the remote coastal regions of Northeast Asia. From the Bering Sea, where massive polar bears go without a meal for months on end, to the fish-rich coasts of the Pacific Ocean, where enormous brown bears await the annual flood of salmon, sometimes feasting, at other times driven to attack their own. And in the enigmatic forests of the Sea of Japan, the Asiatic black bear may find itself pursued by a deadly foe – the tiger. The film reveals the challenges bears must overcome, to show just what amazing survivors they are, from spending half their lives in a troubled, hungry sleep, to the rest of the time hunting ingeniously for food. Bears are often seen as dangerous, aggressive thieves. But there is a lot more to the bear than meets the eye!
Director: Henry M. MixLocation: Rakvere Eragümnaasium
Running time: 50 min
08:30 - 09:56
Vertical Money
"Vertical Money" is a nature catastrophe film that made scandalous news even before it’s release in Estonia. Shot in more than 60 different places in Estonia the film opens the viewer to the current state of Estonian forests and shows how political decisions have affected the use of the common property. The film also offers solutions to move out of the deadlock of the debate and directs attention to the information that has been buried under the messages of controlled communication in the information noise of the forest war. The same kind of war that's being held across the globe.
Director: Martti HeldeLocation: Rakvere Eragümnaasium
Running time: 86 min
14:00 - 14:52
Lions of the Skeleton Coast
A true coming-of-age story about three orphaned desert lion cubs who discovered a most remarkable way of survival along the mystical shores of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. A story as surprising as it is inspiring: a true-life drama about resilience and survival. Documented over eight years, we follow the ground-breaking work of lion researcher Dr Philip Stander as he witnesses the orphaned cubs’ incredible journey, from their first unsteady steps in the heart of the desert, to their remarkable discovery of an extraordinary life along the hostile Skeleton Coast.
Director: Will and Lianne SteenkampLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 52 min
12:15 - 13:05
Welcome to the Forest - The Puzzle of Life
The film depicts the fascinating connections between the creatures in the forest and explains the perfect cycle of nature, where the various small and large species form a huge network. It turns out that the forest is by no means just the realm of trees, but also a world of animals.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 50 min
19:00 - 20:26
Vertical Money
"Vertical Money" is a nature catastrophe film that made scandalous news even before it’s release in Estonia. Shot in more than 60 different places in Estonia the film opens the viewer to the current state of Estonian forests and shows how political decisions have affected the use of the common property. The film also offers solutions to move out of the deadlock of the debate and directs attention to the information that has been buried under the messages of controlled communication in the information noise of the forest war. The same kind of war that's being held across the globe.
Director: Martti HeldeLocation: Pürksi kultuurimaja
Running time: 86 min
17:00 - 17:58
Operation Saimaa Seal
"Operation Saimaa Seal" is a documentary film about the Saimaa ringed seal, its captivating habitat in Lake Saimaa, and the unwavering efforts of researchers who aim to save this critically endangered species. Climate change poses a grim future for the Saimaa ringed seal. The seal requires snow and ice to reproduce, but in the future there may not be snow nor ice on Lake Saimaa during winters. What will happen to the seal when climate change threatens to destroy its living conditions? Researchers have a solution: seal boxes. But what kind of artificial nest will the seal accept as its home?
Director: Petteri SaarioLocation: Vormsi Rahvamaja
Running time: 58 min
19:00 - 19:50
Bearland
This stunning film explores the „land“ with the highest bear density on our planet - the remote coastal regions of Northeast Asia. From the Bering Sea, where massive polar bears go without a meal for months on end, to the fish-rich coasts of the Pacific Ocean, where enormous brown bears await the annual flood of salmon, sometimes feasting, at other times driven to attack their own. And in the enigmatic forests of the Sea of Japan, the Asiatic black bear may find itself pursued by a deadly foe – the tiger. The film reveals the challenges bears must overcome, to show just what amazing survivors they are, from spending half their lives in a troubled, hungry sleep, to the rest of the time hunting ingeniously for food. Bears are often seen as dangerous, aggressive thieves. But there is a lot more to the bear than meets the eye!
Director: Henry M. MixLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 50 min
18:00 - 18:51
Vietnam´s Mysterious North
One word, above all, defines Vietnam: unique. It´s home to many animal species that are found nowhere else on Earth. However, humans are claiming more and more land for their own purposes, displacing the animals and endangering their existence. As civilisation encroaches on the wilderness, the animals find themselves trapped. For now, some refuges remain. Remote, untamed habitats, like the mysterious mountain rainforests of north Vietnam.
Director: Heike Grebe, Johannes Berger, Michael Riegler, Stephan KrasserLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 51 min
Wednesday
02.10.2024
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0014:00 - 14:52
The Storm - Wildlife in Wild Weather
When a heavy summer storm strikes Central Europe with gales, lightning, hail and torrential rain, how do the native animals find ways to endure it? In times of climate change, as weather extremes become more frequent and pose enormous challenges, humans aren’t the only ones impacted. The Storm follows the struggle of insects, storks, raccoons, foxes and moles when the weather turns against them. Breathtaking footage reveals how animals and plants react to the first warning signs, what surprising strategies they use to ride out the storm and sometimes even benefit from it.
Director: Michael R. Gärtner, Robin JähneLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 52 min
12:15 - 12:43
At The Water´s Edge
Ulvi has lived almost her entire life in the Soomaa National Park in the middle of a deep forest and pristine nature. Even though the river next to her house is getting to the house every year due to the subsidence of the bank and the living conditions at home are becoming more difficult, Ulvi does not intend to leave her childhood home. What keeps her here are the Tori horses, whom she has raised for decades. Also she wants to continue with her special lifestyle, which she could have only in Soomaa.
Director: Mirjam MatiisenLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 28 min
18:00 - 18:52
Parents in the Wild - Mating Games and Birth Days
In this film, directors Annette Scheurich and Moritz Mayerle offer a captivating glimpse into the love lives of “Parents in the Wild” worldwide. Highlighting the universal goal of providing offspring a strong start, the film explores the diverse mating and nesting rituals of mammals, insects, and birds, celebrating the intricate dance of love in the heart of the wilderness. Spectacular images showcase also the birth of squirrels, a grey seal pup and a flying fox fighting gravity in its upside-down world. "Parents in the Wild" is an entertaining visual feast that invites audiences to connect with the profound moments of wild parents in their quest for species conservation.
Director: Annette Scheurich & Moritz MayerleLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 52 min
19:00 - 20:21
A Call from the Wild
Filmmaker Asgeir Helgestad documents the state of nature at his home country Norway, where he has photographed all his life. From the lives of bees at his farm, to wild reindeer on the high mountains, and puffins at the ocean’s edge, he shows the beauty of threatened nature and tracks down human actions responsible for its decline. This is a personal story on our connection with the non-human world, the relations between the small and the big, and a reminder of nature’s strength and vulnerability.
Director: Asgeir HelgestadLocation: Vormsi Rahvamaja
Running time: 81 min
19:00 - 19:52
Parents in the Wild - Mating Games and Birth Days
In this film, directors Annette Scheurich and Moritz Mayerle offer a captivating glimpse into the love lives of “Parents in the Wild” worldwide. Highlighting the universal goal of providing offspring a strong start, the film explores the diverse mating and nesting rituals of mammals, insects, and birds, celebrating the intricate dance of love in the heart of the wilderness. Spectacular images showcase also the birth of squirrels, a grey seal pup and a flying fox fighting gravity in its upside-down world. "Parents in the Wild" is an entertaining visual feast that invites audiences to connect with the profound moments of wild parents in their quest for species conservation.
Director: Annette Scheurich & Moritz MayerleLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 52 min
18:00 - 18:52
Namibia's Natural Wonders - Little Heroes, big Hunters
The Kalahari is a dry and barren desert that nevertheless offers a surprising diversity of species. One of the rare and fascinating creatures that live here is the Ground pangolin. It resembles a cute dinosaur and is the only mammal that wears horn scales. The meerkat watches its surroundings carefully and is always on the lookout for enemies. Together with its colony, it goes foraging and digs through the ground in search of treats. In the north-east of Namibia lie the great rivers. Here, a matriarch leads a herd of elephants. Elephant societies are very complex: mothers with their children, sisters and aunts with their own offspring. They all form a close-knit family herd. From the dry savannahs to the vast riverine landscapes: Namibia is the land of a thousand faces, wonders and stories. It is a world of little heroes and great hunters.
Director: Jens Westphalen / Thoralf GrospitzLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 52 min
Thursday
03.10.2024
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0016:15 - 17:05
Bearland
This stunning film explores the „land“ with the highest bear density on our planet - the remote coastal regions of Northeast Asia. From the Bering Sea, where massive polar bears go without a meal for months on end, to the fish-rich coasts of the Pacific Ocean, where enormous brown bears await the annual flood of salmon, sometimes feasting, at other times driven to attack their own. And in the enigmatic forests of the Sea of Japan, the Asiatic black bear may find itself pursued by a deadly foe – the tiger. The film reveals the challenges bears must overcome, to show just what amazing survivors they are, from spending half their lives in a troubled, hungry sleep, to the rest of the time hunting ingeniously for food. Bears are often seen as dangerous, aggressive thieves. But there is a lot more to the bear than meets the eye!
Director: Henry M. MixLocation: Narva Eesti Gümnaasium
Running time: 50 min
19:00 - 19:52
Lions of the Skeleton Coast
A true coming-of-age story about three orphaned desert lion cubs who discovered a most remarkable way of survival along the mystical shores of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. A story as surprising as it is inspiring: a true-life drama about resilience and survival. Documented over eight years, we follow the ground-breaking work of lion researcher Dr Philip Stander as he witnesses the orphaned cubs’ incredible journey, from their first unsteady steps in the heart of the desert, to their remarkable discovery of an extraordinary life along the hostile Skeleton Coast.
Director: Will and Lianne SteenkampLocation: Emajõe-Suursoo Keskus
Running time: 52 min
18:30 - 19:51
A Call from the Wild
Filmmaker Asgeir Helgestad documents the state of nature at his home country Norway, where he has photographed all his life. From the lives of bees at his farm, to wild reindeer on the high mountains, and puffins at the ocean’s edge, he shows the beauty of threatened nature and tracks down human actions responsible for its decline. This is a personal story on our connection with the non-human world, the relations between the small and the big, and a reminder of nature’s strength and vulnerability.
Director: Asgeir HelgestadLocation: Viljandi Centrum
Running time: 81 min
Friday
04.10.2024
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0018:30 - 19:43
La Macchina Fissa - Clark's Garden
Macchina Fissa was the name given to the pumps used to drain swamp water and irrigate agricultural land in the Po Valley. South of Mantua, in Borgo Virgilio, just beyond the banks of the Mincio River, is a pumping station built in the mid-1800s. Once operated by steam engines, it’s been in disuse for a century and is now home to the cultural association Reading Retreats in Rural Italy and Clark Lawrence’s garden. The garden is inhabited predominantly by annual plants, which, at the end of their growth cycle in late autumn, flaunt their expired vitality and their beauty even when dried out. Winter is the time for Clark to harvest seeds for the next season and carry out a vigorous garden clean-up, assisted in his enterprise by the beloved goats that clear away the remaining vegetation and actively contribute to fertilizing the garden. In spring, the sowing of new plants begins. Most loved by Clark are American plants, or rather, those of the Native Americans: pumpkins, corn, and beans, which populate the garden, together with castor oil plants, amaranths, cosmos, evening primroses, ipomoeas, and hundreds of other varieties. The documentary follows Clark in his work and his philosophy of a garden as a place in which to “swim among the plants”. A garden designed “…by looking outside at what surrounds it: the landscape, plants, climate, and manmade constructions. Looking outside first and then thinking about what to do inside”.
Director: Emilio Neri TremoladaLocation: Viljandi Centrum
Running time: 73 min
19:00 - 19:22
Restoration of Mires - From Theory to Practice
In Estonia, hundreds of thousands of hectares of bogs have been drained for various purposes. This film introduces the work of the State Forest Management Center in the restoration of bogs and shows what needs to be done to make the residual bogs a suitable habitat again for the species there.
Director: Ants Tammik, Mihkel JärveojaLocation: Padise kloostri külastuskeskus
Running time: 22 min
17:45 - 18:37
Parents in the Wild - Mating Games and Birth Days
In this film, directors Annette Scheurich and Moritz Mayerle offer a captivating glimpse into the love lives of “Parents in the Wild” worldwide. Highlighting the universal goal of providing offspring a strong start, the film explores the diverse mating and nesting rituals of mammals, insects, and birds, celebrating the intricate dance of love in the heart of the wilderness. Spectacular images showcase also the birth of squirrels, a grey seal pup and a flying fox fighting gravity in its upside-down world. "Parents in the Wild" is an entertaining visual feast that invites audiences to connect with the profound moments of wild parents in their quest for species conservation.
Director: Annette Scheurich & Moritz MayerleLocation: Padise kloostri külastuskeskus
Running time: 52 min
16:30 - 17:22
The Storm - Wildlife in Wild Weather
When a heavy summer storm strikes Central Europe with gales, lightning, hail and torrential rain, how do the native animals find ways to endure it? In times of climate change, as weather extremes become more frequent and pose enormous challenges, humans aren’t the only ones impacted. The Storm follows the struggle of insects, storks, raccoons, foxes and moles when the weather turns against them. Breathtaking footage reveals how animals and plants react to the first warning signs, what surprising strategies they use to ride out the storm and sometimes even benefit from it.
Director: Michael R. Gärtner, Robin JähneLocation: Padise kloostri külastuskeskus
Running time: 52 min
Saturday
05.10.2024
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0019:00 - 19:52
A Cheetah's Pride - EP2: Struggle to Survive
This is a cheetah family like no other. Nine cubs and two mothers, who against all odds have kept all these cubs alive in South Africa’s Samara Karoo Reserve. Their true story began with a chance meeting of Inara and her four cubs and Chilli with her five. Now cubs suckle from different mothers, and mothers raise each other’s cubs. Chilli and Inara are themselves, mother and daughter. But adult female cheetahs are solitary animals. This family breaks all the rules. Inara has recently lost the family. For now, all nine cubs are under Chilli’s care. Alone for weeks, Inara has gone back into estrous. She’s now searching for a mate. The family’s future is uncertain and more precarious than ever before.
Director: Hansa WinshawLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 52 min
17:00 - 17:52
Oh Deer!
This 100% animal documentary brings us closer to the deer through the seasons and the years, from its first steps as a fawn to its adulthood.
Director: Frank PizonLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 52 min
15:30 - 16:14
Flowing Freely - In the River of Life
Rivers can become a danger. This has been demonstrated by the flood disasters of recent years. Often because their natural course is itself endangered - straightened, channelled or dammed. This film tells of the amazing connections in a river that is still allowed to be a river of life. A river that can flow untamed and create. Here, otters, dragonflies, little ringed plovers and catfish are all links in a chain. Of life and death. There are no "disasters" in the river. As long as nothing flows in that doesn't belong there and destroys the natural balance.
Director: Uwe MüllerLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 44 min
14:00 - 14:52
Lions of the Skeleton Coast
A true coming-of-age story about three orphaned desert lion cubs who discovered a most remarkable way of survival along the mystical shores of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. A story as surprising as it is inspiring: a true-life drama about resilience and survival. Documented over eight years, we follow the ground-breaking work of lion researcher Dr Philip Stander as he witnesses the orphaned cubs’ incredible journey, from their first unsteady steps in the heart of the desert, to their remarkable discovery of an extraordinary life along the hostile Skeleton Coast.
Director: Will and Lianne SteenkampLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 52 min
16:00 - 17:26
Vertical Money
"Vertical Money" is a nature catastrophe film that made scandalous news even before it’s release in Estonia. Shot in more than 60 different places in Estonia the film opens the viewer to the current state of Estonian forests and shows how political decisions have affected the use of the common property. The film also offers solutions to move out of the deadlock of the debate and directs attention to the information that has been buried under the messages of controlled communication in the information noise of the forest war. The same kind of war that's being held across the globe.
Director: Martti HeldeLocation: Padise rahvamaja
Running time: 86 min
14:00 - 14:51
Vietnam´s Mysterious North
One word, above all, defines Vietnam: unique. It´s home to many animal species that are found nowhere else on Earth. However, humans are claiming more and more land for their own purposes, displacing the animals and endangering their existence. As civilisation encroaches on the wilderness, the animals find themselves trapped. For now, some refuges remain. Remote, untamed habitats, like the mysterious mountain rainforests of north Vietnam.
Director: Heike Grebe, Johannes Berger, Michael Riegler, Stephan KrasserLocation: Padise rahvamaja
Running time: 51 min
12:00 - 12:50
Welcome to the Forest - The Puzzle of Life
The film depicts the fascinating connections between the creatures in the forest and explains the perfect cycle of nature, where the various small and large species form a huge network. It turns out that the forest is by no means just the realm of trees, but also a world of animals.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Padise rahvamaja
Running time: 50 min
17:00 - 17:51
Vietnam´s Mysterious North
One word, above all, defines Vietnam: unique. It´s home to many animal species that are found nowhere else on Earth. However, humans are claiming more and more land for their own purposes, displacing the animals and endangering their existence. As civilisation encroaches on the wilderness, the animals find themselves trapped. For now, some refuges remain. Remote, untamed habitats, like the mysterious mountain rainforests of north Vietnam.
Director: Heike Grebe, Johannes Berger, Michael Riegler, Stephan KrasserLocation: Rapla Kultuuriklubi BAAS
Running time: 51 min
14:00 - 14:55
My Sweden - A Changing Wilderness
Wildlife filmmaker Zoltán Török has chosen Sweden as his home. Two decades after he started his career here, he embarks on a journey with his family. They want to see how their beloved Nordic country’s nature has shifted since they first arrived. It’s an emotional odyssey across Sweden with remarkable wildlife encounters - while Zoltán’s family is changing too...
Director: Zoltán TörökLocation: Rapla Kultuuriklubi BAAS
Running time: 55 min
19:00 - 19:52
Parents in the Wild - Mating Games and Birth Days
In this film, directors Annette Scheurich and Moritz Mayerle offer a captivating glimpse into the love lives of “Parents in the Wild” worldwide. Highlighting the universal goal of providing offspring a strong start, the film explores the diverse mating and nesting rituals of mammals, insects, and birds, celebrating the intricate dance of love in the heart of the wilderness. Spectacular images showcase also the birth of squirrels, a grey seal pup and a flying fox fighting gravity in its upside-down world. "Parents in the Wild" is an entertaining visual feast that invites audiences to connect with the profound moments of wild parents in their quest for species conservation.
Director: Annette Scheurich & Moritz MayerleLocation: Oru Kultuurisaal
Running time: 52 min
18:00 - 18:50
Bearland
This stunning film explores the „land“ with the highest bear density on our planet - the remote coastal regions of Northeast Asia. From the Bering Sea, where massive polar bears go without a meal for months on end, to the fish-rich coasts of the Pacific Ocean, where enormous brown bears await the annual flood of salmon, sometimes feasting, at other times driven to attack their own. And in the enigmatic forests of the Sea of Japan, the Asiatic black bear may find itself pursued by a deadly foe – the tiger. The film reveals the challenges bears must overcome, to show just what amazing survivors they are, from spending half their lives in a troubled, hungry sleep, to the rest of the time hunting ingeniously for food. Bears are often seen as dangerous, aggressive thieves. But there is a lot more to the bear than meets the eye!
Director: Henry M. MixLocation: Oru Kultuurisaal
Running time: 50 min
16:00 - 17:26
Vertical Money
"Vertical Money" is a nature catastrophe film that made scandalous news even before it’s release in Estonia. Shot in more than 60 different places in Estonia the film opens the viewer to the current state of Estonian forests and shows how political decisions have affected the use of the common property. The film also offers solutions to move out of the deadlock of the debate and directs attention to the information that has been buried under the messages of controlled communication in the information noise of the forest war. The same kind of war that's being held across the globe.
Director: Martti HeldeLocation: Oru Kultuurisaal
Running time: 86 min
Sunday
06.10.2024
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0018:30 - 19:57
Wild Port of Europe - Nature on the Edge
Hedgehogs, polecats, lesser black-backed gulls, kestrels, rabbits and even seals and exotic Chinese mitten crabs. Wild Port of Europe – Nature on the edge takes you into the unexpected story of these and other animals living in Europe’s largest and busiest port area. In a landscape where humans are constantly changing everything, amid the steel factories, storage tanks, container ships, giant cranes and sprawling railroad lines, the animals seize their opportunities and often make remarkable choices in the process. While Wild Port of Europe shows that survival in such a highly industrialized environment is a life on the edge for wildlife, the film also mirrors nature’s challenges back to the human world, for we share a mutual uncertain future.
Director: Willem BerentsLocation: Viljandi Centrum
Running time: 87 min
16:00 - 16:50
Welcome to the Forest - The Puzzle of Life
The film depicts the fascinating connections between the creatures in the forest and explains the perfect cycle of nature, where the various small and large species form a huge network. It turns out that the forest is by no means just the realm of trees, but also a world of animals.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Keava Raamatukogu
Running time: 50 min
Wednesday
24.09.2025
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0016:00 - 17:21
Among the Wolves
Sharing an entire year in the life of a pack of wild wolves… a dream for Yves the painter and Olivier the photographer. Somewhere in the no-man’s-land between Finland and Russia, they’ll be waiting for the pack, in a hut just a few meters square. Throughout the four seasons, motionless and silent in the midst of an unchanging scenery, they gradually become part of the “picture” and immerse themselves in the life of the wolves.
Director: Tanguy Dumortier, Olivier LarreyLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 81 min
15:00 - 15:49
Little Mouse - The Brave Mother
A young mouse leaves her burrow in search of her own territory, during the process she will face endless dangers.
Director: Manuel Gracia GonzálezLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 49 min
14:00 - 14:52
The Boar Next Door
In the heart of a forest, in the shelter of the undergrowth, a litter of young wild boar is born. To survive, they must rely on their mother and their strong wild animal instincts. As they grow up, away from the family cocoon, they will learn about the laws of nature, companionship and the human world.
Director: Frank PizonLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
12:00 - 12:50
Airborne Episode 3 - Love in the Air
Nearly every species on earth must find a mate. Some become partners for life and for others it’s just a fleeting moment. All are here with one aim - to produce the next generation. Many have devised clever ways to get noticed and to ensure that, when it comes to the language of love, their message is loud & clear. In this film, we reveal how, by taking to the air, animals can master the art of romance through amazing acrobatics to seduction by scent. We show how being airborne is key for some species, to fight off competition and raise a family.
Director: Dani GodwinLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
19:00 - 19:56
Burrowing Owls: A Love Story
In the shadows of a Cold War Military depot, a colony of pint-sized predators faces an uncertain future as one owl biologist races to save it from extinction. As a young family of burrowing owls learns to grow up wild, will his scientific discoveries be enough to rescue this fragile population in the wake of a changing planet?
Director: Alan LacyLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 56 min
10:00 - 10:50
Fabulous Insects - Beetles
An incredible 350,000 species of beetles live on our planet Earth, far more than any other group of insects. All these beetle species look different and have very different ways of life. Nevertheless, most of us know fewer beetles by name than we have fingers on one hand. „Fabulous Insects – Beetles“ presents colourful and bizarrely shaped species as well as the largest beetle in the world, in its habitat in the South American rainforest. The film also shows that the colourful diversity and beauty of beetles and their exciting natural history can be experienced right on our doorstep, in Central Europe. In aesthetic and never-before-seen macro slow-motion and time-lapse shots, the viewer experiences the world of beetles, which is more beautiful, colourful and surprising than many of us realise. Renowned entomologist Urmas Tartes will comment on the film at the festival's opening screening in Lihula.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
Thursday
25.09.2025
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0020:00 - 20:59
Ikea loves Wood - Sustainability or Deceit?
Investigative documentary about one of the world's largest consumers of wood. Every second a tree is cut down to become an affordable IKEA product. IKEA claims it's all sustainable. But is it true? The documentary visits IKEA's forests in the Romanian Carpathian mountains - an area with some of the last old-growth forests in Europe and where illegal logging is widespread. According to independent experts, IKEA violates several of the rules that would otherwise protect the forest, wildlife and biodiversity.
Director: Tom HeinemannLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 59 min
18:00 - 18:40
The Birds
Told through the cinematic experience of wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn, THE BIRDS finds meaning and pathos as it gets up close to one of England's little-known wonders of the natural world. As Martin chases down the twisting and turning of giant flocks of shore birds on England’s Wash estuary, he attempts to literally record evolution in action as a peregrine falcon scythes through the mind-blowing murmurations – astonishingly large numbers of birds flying in synchronized patterns and creating shapes in the air. Ultimately, this feature short reveals important insights not only into the hidden mechanisms of nature, but also into the psyche of a man facing up to the end of his career.
Director: David Allen, Martin DohrnLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 40 min
15:15 - 16:03
Sheep
In the lush fields of northern Belgium, as winter tightens its grip, the sheep of Eddy, Jeroen, and Johny become silent witnesses to a hidden drama when a wolf is driven to the edges of human lands in search of sustenance. With the three human protagonists doing everything within their power to protect their rights of existence, this film stands up for the least heard voice in Belgium’s brand new wolf territory: that of the bleating sheep.
Director: Ruud De KeyserLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 48 min
17:00 - 17:53
My Otter Diary
In this beautifully shot and captivating documentary, wildlife filmmaker and National Geographic explorer Sugandhi Gadadhar uncovers the playful and resilient lives of otters in one of India’s most rapidly changing waterways. Set in the lush wetlands and tranquil waters of the Kaveri river, the film reveals a rare view of Otter family life, their survival strategies, and interactions with other species. But as pollution and destructive dynamite fishing threatens the delicate balance of their habitat, the otters, and the humans whose livelihoods also depend on the river, are often in conflict. With unprecedented access and filmed over three years, Gadadhar follows a family of otters as they face these challenges.
Director: Sugandhi GadadharLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 53 min
19:00 - 19:26
The Shining Tapestry
A family of wild owls hunts, feeds, and raises their young. A camera in their nest captures every move. While online viewers monitor the owls 24/7, nature begins to defy its audience's expectations... calling into question the deeper paradigm of control that underlines our human interventions into the wild.
Director: Kai HarlowLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 26 min
14:00 - 14:52
Threats to Mountain Goat Kingdom
The film is about the struggle for survival of a female ibex herd in the face of climate change. Together with the growth of alpinism climate changes increase the greatest natural threats to mountain goats such as starvation in late winter, avalanches, falls fromsteep cliffs and predation. The documentary follows their adventures and the remarkable adaptation strategies they deploy to adapt.
Director: Guillaume PoyetLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
12:00 - 12:49
Fluorescence: Nature’s Superpower
A blue-chip journey, that embarks us on land or in the sea to meet the creatures that possess a secret superpower: fluorescence. While fluorescence may go unnoticed by humans, it influences the lives of hundreds if not thousands of species. It plays a crucial role in terms of claiming territory, reproduction, survival and predation. We will use specialized equipment to swap our Homo sapiens sight for a vision that is more... animal. At last, we’ll see the world in fluorescence and strive to unpack its mysteries! With this system, we invite viewers to share an alternative version of our world where the most trivial creatures seem to have popped straight from the imagination of a sci-fi writer. We enter an alien dreamscape governed by color and light. A 100% wildlife film, to discover our world’s fascinating, fluorescent flora and fauna.
Director: Rachel Guénon & Samuel GuitonLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 49 min
10:00 - 10:51
Wildlife 2.0 - Adapting to a New World
Modern landscapes - characterized by buildings, industrial areas, and roads - are increasingly shaping not only cities but also rural areas in Central Europe. For many wild animals, this is everyday reality, forcing them to adapt. At the same time, conservation efforts, shaped by modern approaches, are creating new habitats. The documentary explores this tension. It portrays a wilderness that no longer exists in its original form but instead consists of fragmented spaces where rare species find refuge. One key figure is the bearded vulture, a species that was extinct in the Alps for over a century but has been successfully reintroduced. Through its eyes, we see a dramatically altered world and meet other species adapting to these changes.
Director: Patrick CenturioniLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
17:00 - 17:58
Outgrow the System
"Change the system, not the climate" is a common demand in the climate movement. But what kind of system do we actually want? In the midst of humanity's worst crisis, the pioneers stand ready. Meet the new economic perspectives that have the potential to change the world at its core.
Director: Cecilia Paulsson & Anders NilssonLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 58 min
20:00 - 21:22
where we used to sleep
Long ago, Geamăna was a Romanian village in the Apuseni Mountains, home to about 1000 people. Today, only the church spire rises from the poisonous mud of a neighbouring copper mine. Almost all the houses have sunk and their inhabitants fled. On the edge of the past, Valeria Praţa strives for her present - and is threatened by the future.
Director: Matthäus WörleLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 82 min
18:00 - 19:54
Off the Mark
Documentary about the climate change, the nature crisis and the violation of human rights in the Norwegian Finnmark. The film shows the action of activists against plastic and follows the fight of the Indigenous Sámi people for their land and culture that are threatened by the “Green Shift”.
Director: Wera UschakowaLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 114 min
16:00 - 16:52
Mother Nature against Anxiolytics
What if one of the alternatives to psychotropics and other anxiolytics was at the tip of our fingers, with our hands in the soil, our nose in a bouquet of flowers, and our teeth biting into a freshly picked radish? What are the true physiological and psychological benefits of contact with a natural environment on our health? Mother nature against anxiolytics explores the experiences of users and caregivers involved in three field trials in the Grand-Est region (a therapeutic garden in a hospital retirement home, a reintegration program through horticulture, an outdoor school in the educational system) and demonstrates how this "free care for all," a real public health issue, is a crucial key to building more peaceful and cooperative societies.
Director: Cécile FlavierLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
15:00 - 15:51
Eco Crimes - the Hunt for Pirate Fishermen
Pirate fishing plagues the world's oceans. One in five fish caught comes from illegal, unregulated, or unreported fishing. While Australia has largely solved the problem through massive investment in its coast guard and strict enforcement, the EU primarily relies on paperwork. A gripping documentary about a war against the environment and honest fishermen, which remains largely unknown.
Director: Ulf MarquardtLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 51 min
13:00 - 13:50
The Strongest on the Savannah
The ocean surrounding the island has made the hippos of Orango Grande truly exceptional. Just over a hundred individuals inhabit this pristine territory, isolated from their continental relatives. Adapted to their small environment, the Orango hippos live in ponds and lagoons or roam through forests, mangroves, and savannas in search of food. But what makes this community unique is that these large mammals travel between different areas of the island by crossing the ocean an astonishing behavior that has earned them the title of “marine hippos.” It is a paradise of extraordinary biodiversity, where the strongest reign: the marine hippos of Orango.
Director: Carlos Pérez RomeroLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
Friday
26.09.2025
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0015:00 - 15:17
The Art of Looking
Two seemingly different groups of people - astrophysicists who try to understand the world by looking at it through telescopes and slime researchers who study the micro-world of the smallest organisms through their microscopes - come to surprisingly similar conclusions about the nature of things and show that the main drive of humanity may be our natural curiosity.
Director: Andris GaujaLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 17 min
14:00 - 14:52
Birdsong
Ornithologist Seán Ronayne from Cobh, Co. Cork is on a mission to record the sound of every bird species in Ireland – that’s nearly 200 birds. Often joined by his partner Alba, he travels to some of the country’s most beautiful and remote locations to capture its most elusive species and soundscapes: the busy seabird colony of Skellig Michael; a native woodland free from road noise in the Burren; the corncrake stronghold of Tory Island; a solitary nest in the Donegal uplands. Along the way we get to know Seán, whose hypersensitivity to sound has proven both a struggle and a strength. At once inspiring and cautionary, Seán’s journey illustrates the beauty and importance of sound, and what listening can tell us about the state of our natural world.
Director: Kathleen HarrisLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
20:00 - 21:15
Oceania: Journey to the Center
"Oceania: Journey to the Center" begins on a coral atoll – predicted to become uninhabitable by 2030 due to rising sea levels and temperatures brought by climate change. We are invited on a journey with a mother and her adult son as they strive to maintain their culture, freedom and independence after decades of colonizing encounters.
Director: Natalie ZimmermanLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 75 min
16:00 - 17:23
Flamingos: Life After the Meteorite
Finding the right mate, the right place, and the right time to create a family is the most critical quest in nature. A miraculous life story of love, risk, and resilience follows the difficult life of the Caribbean Flamingos. A 9-year production in collaboration with Cornell Lab of Ornithology (a world leader in the study and conservation of birds), the film blends a unique narration with humor and lots of thoughtful conclusions that underline the spectacular images on the screen. Narrated by Julieta Venegas, one of the most successful Latin-American Pop singers today, and featuring an impressive soundtrack by Bryce Dessner (The National), this one-of-a-kind Mexican film breaks the natural history genre.
Director: Lorenzo HagermanLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 83 min
11:00 - 11:41
Seven Sands
The seashore is the border between two different environments. It is a dream place where you can walk barefoot on warm sand or listen to the gentle lapping of the waves in the glow of the sunset. We are looking for singing sand on seven beaches in seven beautiful places in Estonia.
Director: Aare BaumerLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 41 min
12:30 - 12:59
The Story of the Demoiselle
The odonata – Dragonflies and Damselflies - inhabited our planet long before dinosaurs. They are among the world’s largest flying invertebrates. Near rivers and lakes in the summer, we meet slender bodied odonata, deep blue in color. These are Demoiselles. Along with other species, they too are trying to survive in a changing environment. In this film, we’ll witness the demoiselles’ circle of life from larva till death. We’ll learn about the dangers they face, how they fare when it comes to love, and how, finally, the next generation is set to sprout. We’ll be privy to exclusive underwater and on-water footage.
Director: Hannes RohtmaLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 29 min
10:00 - 10:50
Fabulous Insects - Ants
The biomass of ants and humans in the world is about the same. Next to us, ants are probably the most adaptable creatures on the planet. Whether rainforest savannah, forests or moors - ants populate every terrestrial habitat. You can observe particularly exciting natural history not only in the distant tropics, but also in densly populated Central Europe. To date, almost sixteen thousand ant species have been described worldwide and many are still awaiting discovery. Why have ants been so numerous and successful in the world for 100 million years, long before the T-Rex appeared on earth? What is it that makes them the most common animals in the world? Is it the highly social way of life of this group of animals or their enormous adaptability to a wide variety of habitats? Do they owe their success to a kind of swarm intelligence? What can we learn from ants?
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
18:00 - 19:15
Notes From the Woods
A meditative film journey takes the viewer to the Estonian forest, where large predators bears, wolves and lynxes go about their daily business. The action takes place in a forest clearing that is used as a feeding ground for eagles. Proud white-tailed eagles and exceptionally long-legged golden eagles feast on fish heads. Suddenly, the eagles flee because a wolf, Estonia's national animal, has come to the feeding ground. The wolf is very cautious because he knows that fish heads do not move on dry land, and their mover is probably somewhere nearby. The desire to make an easy profit overcomes fear and the wolf, one of the main characters in our film, grabs the fish head and quickly darts between the trees to sniff it out. The wolf's instincts do not fail him, the feeding ground is managed by a man who has a shelter at the edge of the ground, where he films the life of the animals. The forest dwellers go fishing one after another, sometimes alone, sometimes in herds, sometimes peacefully, sometimes quarreling with each other. The film shows intriguing, sometimes unexpected situations, without offering direct commentary. The viewer could get a feeling of immediate presence.
Director: Riho VästrikLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 75 min
20:00 - 21:22
Our Wolves
Professor Luca Rossi dedicates what remains of his university career to study wolves, but his findings conflict with his emotions as he navigates the contentious divide between wolf defenders and opponents. As Luca tries to be as close as possible to the wolves to understand them, he finds himself facing the sentiments of those who fear and love them.
Director: Samer AngeloneLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 82 min
15:00 - 15:52
Fearless Queen of the Night
The film provides the viewer with an exceptional insight into the lives of several Ural owl specimens. It intertwines and relates to human factors that, in one way or another, influence or coincide with the animal stories. Film is a dynamic natural science research story about the Ural owl (Strix uralensis). It is an interweaving display of its life, interactions with other animal species, humans, and the scientific study of the species. In film we will get to know the mysterious life of one of the largest European owls, which is extremely aggressive during the nesting season. It will also showcase activities in which humans are actively involved - rehabilitation of injured specimens in shelter for wild animals, breeding and resettlement of the Ural owl in Austria, the effects of deforestation, an unusual encounter with the Ural owl in an urban environment, interesting hunting story…. Documentary will gradually uncover the very unusual daytime and nighttime behavior of the species and at the same time get acquainted with the latest scientific findings of Slovene biologist dr. Al Vrezec, one of the world’s foremost experts on Ural owls.
Director: Matej VraničLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
13:15 - 14:45
Welcome to the Neighbourhood - Wildlife in the City
The city is like a living organism. Healthy and in perfect balance, it can make its inhabitants happy, people as well as animals and plants. If it gets out of balance, it becomes ill and with it all the creatures that live in it. It is a valuable habitat for animals such as hedgehogs, rhinoceros beetles and swallowtails. But cities are under pressure. Growing population numbers are leading to the loss of green spaces and increased soil sealing. This documentary by Sielmann Award winner Heiko De Groot shows the consequences of urbanization for biodiversity and human health.
Director: Heiko De GrootLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 90 min
16:00 - 16:52
Dormouse Detectives
Garden dormice are supposed to be at home all over Europe. But recently they have started to go missing. A disappearance so mysterious, that researchers and conservationists have hurried to form a special task force of unprecedented size and scope. Their investigation focuses on possible causes for the massive decline in the cute rodent’s numbers. Time is of the essence. Only if the Dormouse Detectives manage to solve this puzzling case, they may still be able to save the species.
Director: Rosie Koch, Roland GockelLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
Saturday
27.09.2025
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0017:00 - 17:50
Europe - Human Habitats
Europe’s town and cities may be a magnet for tourists, but they’re also a magnet for a surprising amount of wildlife. Paris may be one of the most rat-infested cities on the planet but it’s slowly realizing the rodents may be more friend than foe. In Spain, huge white storks nest on the roofs of churches. Dice snakes catch fish in man-made waterfalls while Alpine ibex fearlessly scale the sheer face of a man-made dam. And in Portugal, hungry bats feed on beetles in a majestic palace library!
Director: Christian Baumeister, Jozef KautLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 50 min
16:00 - 16:30
Fabulous Cow Ladies
Three generations of cows - Joy, Crumb & Sweetie - live in the forest. Joy & Crumb were rescued from the slaughterhouse truck. The cows are cared for by a group of three women - veterinary doctors - who call themselves the Fabulous Cow Ladies. As the film explores the cycle of life and the importance of community, this matriarchal team highlights the deep bond between humans, animals, and nature.
Director: Mia HalmeLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 30 min
13:00 - 14:33
Lost for Words
A chorale documentary that celebrates our relationships with nature, inspired by the best-selling illustrated book by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. A scientific film with an artistic heart, it actively invites us to explore and reshape our anthropocentric point of view through an odyssey around the UK, where we meet artists, scientists, children, the elderly and all different people in between. Their words and philosophy drift organically through the four seasons.
Director: Hannah Papacek HarperLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 93 min
12:00 - 12:52
The Tiny Fox
Santa Cruz Island is home of one of the world’s smallest species of fox. These mini canids have adapted to the island’s ecosystem and climbed to the top of its food chain. But it doesn’t take much for their strengths to turn into weaknesses… A few years ago, victims of predation, the Santa cruz island fox came close to extinction: their numbers were drastically reduced, also threatening the naturel balance of the entire island. Today, thanks to conservation efforts, the tiny fox species is once again flourishing in Santa Cruz.
Director: Emma BausLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
11:00 - 11:53
Wild Vienna
Did you know that young long-eared owls sit by the dozens in Vienna's Stadtpark every spring? While they watch the guests dine in the highly decorated award-winning restaurant. The fact that Vienna is the city in Europe with the most European hamsters is also probably not too well known. Just like the remarkable fact that every third ground squirrel living in Austria is a resident of the federal capital. In the course of filming, we got to know many amazing fellow citizens: swans for whom the fire brigade is building flood protection because they want to nest in the concrete tub of the River Wien. Grey herons that operate their colony right next to a motorway junction. Or abandoned pet rabbits who have formed a kind of self-help group on the banks of the Danube. Not to mention the nocturnal adventures of the Viennese emperor… moth.
Director: Martin MészárosLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 53 min
10:00 - 10:53
Pangolin - Journey to Freedom
Here is the story of Kosha, an orphaned Temminck’s, or ground pangolin, from Zimbabwe. She’s a small, harmless, scaly, ant-eating mammal with a ridiculously long tongue. Kosha was rescued from poachers in 2017 and taken to the Tikki Hywood Foundation when she was a pup. Here she was raised by caring humans and released back into the wild. Now fully grown, Kosha offers her main carers, Lisa, Ellen and Luke, a rare glimpse into her secret life. So little is known about pangolins in the wild. Six years of ups and downs – of life and death situations, of previously unknown pangolin behaviour culminating in the birth of her first pup, give Lisa, Ellen and Luke the clues they need to fill in some of the missing gaps in pangolin science. And those revelations will make a big difference to the liberation and survival of the many rescued pangolins to follow.
Director: Wayne de LangeLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 53 min
15:00 - 15:53
Farming in America: The Land of Junk Food
In the land of junk food, agriculture is controlled by two magic words: productivity and profitability. We investigate the excesses of American agribusiness. America’s two million farmers are formidable businessmen. XXL farms, feedlots and pesticides: anything goes when producing more and more. In the cattle feedlots in the Midwest, animals are herded by the thousands into pens without a single blade of grass, fattened up and drugged with growth hormones. These are industrial methods pushed to the extreme. Every year, the country’s farmers gather at the Farm Machinery Show in Kentucky, the apex of the US agriculture industry. There, one can find million-dollar tractors and a show that fans wouldn’t miss for the world: the tractor race is the most prestigious in the country. In California, we investigate the gigantic plantations where carrots, artichokes and strawberries are grown. With a desperate shortage of water, farmers water at breakneck speed, even if it means depriving the region’s inhabitants of access to drinking water.
Director: Céline MissoffeLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 53 min
16:00 - 17:15
Secrets of the Western Sea
Join us on a breathtaking journey beneath the surface along the Swedish west coast. Here you will get to know the inhabitants of the Skagerrak and Kattegat through the changing seasons. You will witness behaviors that have never been filmed before and marvel at the richness of life forms, colors, and patterns that our Skagerrak and Kattegat seas have to offer. But you will also learn about the challenges facing the sea, which we humans ourselves have created. What happens beneath the surface is often unknown. But here it is revealed—the secrets of the Western sea.
Director: Tobias DahlinLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 75 min
15:00 - 15:30
Gathering Firewood
The film follows a group of Nenets women gathering firewood in a snow-covered tundra. This film is part of a larger Yamal Nenets Series, which explores the daily life of nomadic reindeer pastoralists on the Yamal Peninsula in Western Siberia during the calving season in the spring. The footage for the series was captured during a three-month ethnographic fieldwork in 1999.
Director: Liivo NiglasLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 30 min
13:30 - 14:30
Choreographies Towards Loss
If human-made extinction was a choreography, this is how we have performed it. The great auk was the original penguin, but disappeared from the Earth in the mid-1800s. The filmmaker travels around to meet various people and places with a connection to the extinct bird, from the home of the author of The Great Auk in England to the old zoological museum in Copenhagen, where the entrails of the last two great auks are kept in glass jars. Through their stories and observations we look back on the life of a species that will never return.
Director: Irene Margrethe KaltenbornLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 60 min
12:00 - 12:52
Between Foam and Clouds
The waves crash against Cape Carteret, shaped over millions of years by marine erosion. It is here, between the sea and the vast wild expanses of the north, that an emblematic fauna that disappeared from the region in the last century has resettled. The Peregrine Falcon, that relentless hunter, has returned to territory occupied by its ancestral enemy, an animal of extraordinary intelligence, the Great Raven. As secret behaviors mark the existence of these free and wild animals, the landscapes and fauna of the Coast of the Islands parade before the giant eye of the lighthouse, while the nearby city corrodes the hillside.
Director: Olivier MarinLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 52 min
10:45 - 11:28
Lichens are the Way
Lichens are amazing organisms that are unparalleled on Earth. They cannot be seen as individuals, like a hyacinth, a heron or a human, but they represent a relationship. The two entities that make up a lichen, a fungus and an algae, have for unknown reasons decided that living together would be better than living alone. Lichens represent a metaphor that would inspire humanity to survive in the future. Lichens represent a new story discovered by the enfant terrible of biology, Trevor Goward. He and his partner Curtis Randal Björk guide us through the film. A purely cinematic experience filmed in Canadian Wells Gray valley, home of the wilderness learning centre.
Director: Ondřej VavrečkaLocation: Theatre hall (Lihula)
Running time: 43 min
Sunday
28.09.2025
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0016:20 - 18:00
Under The Open Sky
In the desert lands of Western India, against the backdrop of a rapidly industrializing country, the charming and charismatic family of Ahmed, Sakina and their five children are forced to give up their traditional way of life as nomadic camel-herders and adapt to a ‘settled’ existence as daily laborers, spending their days loading carts of sand in the pursuit of a few hundred rupees. In a story that spans over five years, this film invites the viewer to breathe the same air as the camel-herders of Kutch, whose future is being suffocated by our rapidly modernizing world.
Director: Sonum SumariaLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 100 min
15:00 - 16:10
Everything needs to live
Film portrays the unusual daily life of Anna Kurkurina, a charismatic athlete, 'the strongest woman in the world', an animal activist and an out lesbian. At an early age, Anna already proved to have a unique bond with animals. She taught biology at school, worked at the local zoo where she made friends with a lion, helped to set up animal shelters, and tried to find new homes for dozens of stray animals. At the age of forty, she decided to pursue a career as a power-lifter and soon made it to the top by becoming a triple world champion. She also started to work as a coach of young people with disabilities. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Anna has been using the power of her popularity as an athlete and a social media influencer to help injured and abandoned animals, following her motto - Whoever saves one life saves the whole world.
Director: Tatyana Dorodnitsina, Andrij LytvynenkoLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 70 min
13:30 - 14:45
Turtle Walker
In the late 1970s, Satish Bhaskar embarked on an epic journey along India's coastlines and the spectacular Andaman and Nicobar islands, where he uncovered the vital nesting beaches of sea turtles. During his death-defying quest, he unravels mysteries surrounding these enigmatic ocean creatures – and sets out to save them from extinction. After a devastating tsunami strikes in 2004, Bhaskar grapples with a pressing question: What happens to sea turtles when their nesting beaches disappear?
Director: Taira MalaneyLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 75 min
11:30 - 13:21
Goodlands
What is the life, its values, its meanings, its wows, its curses, its hardships, its beauties!? The film, a sort of an arranged kaleidoscope composed of several stories, miniature vignettes, is an ode to mountains, people and their thoughts, wishing to express the mountain people's ethos, the principles and values they adhere to, their steadfastness, and the beauty of their place under the stars.
Director: Vladimir PerovićLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 111 min
10:00 - 11:15
Nilgiris - A Shared Wilderness
Shaped by nature’s forces for over two and a half billion years, these mountains are an ancient storehouse of stories. Yet the most dramatic transformations have taken place only within the past two centuries, driven by human influence — from colonial-era plantations and expanding railway lines to growing settlements. This is the story of India’s very first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve — the Nilgiris — one of Asia’s most intensively studied ecological regions. It is also the first feature-length documentary about this landscape, taking us on a journey of discovery and uncovering the many secrets that make this region so incredibly special.
Director: Sandesh KadurLocation: Mirror hall (Lihula)
Running time: 75 min
Monday
29.09.2025
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0016:00 - 16:50
Fabulous Insects - Ants
The biomass of ants and humans in the world is about the same. Next to us, ants are probably the most adaptable creatures on the planet. Whether rainforest savannah, forests or moors - ants populate every terrestrial habitat. You can observe particularly exciting natural history not only in the distant tropics, but also in densly populated Central Europe. To date, almost sixteen thousand ant species have been described worldwide and many are still awaiting discovery. Why have ants been so numerous and successful in the world for 100 million years, long before the T-Rex appeared on earth? What is it that makes them the most common animals in the world? Is it the highly social way of life of this group of animals or their enormous adaptability to a wide variety of habitats? Do they owe their success to a kind of swarm intelligence? What can we learn from ants?
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Vormsi Rahvamaja
Running time: 50 min
Tuesday
30.09.2025
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0011:00 - 11:50
Fabulous Insects - Ants
The biomass of ants and humans in the world is about the same. Next to us, ants are probably the most adaptable creatures on the planet. Whether rainforest savannah, forests or moors - ants populate every terrestrial habitat. You can observe particularly exciting natural history not only in the distant tropics, but also in densly populated Central Europe. To date, almost sixteen thousand ant species have been described worldwide and many are still awaiting discovery. Why have ants been so numerous and successful in the world for 100 million years, long before the T-Rex appeared on earth? What is it that makes them the most common animals in the world? Is it the highly social way of life of this group of animals or their enormous adaptability to a wide variety of habitats? Do they owe their success to a kind of swarm intelligence? What can we learn from ants?
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Padise kloostri külastuskeskus
Running time: 50 min
19:30 - 20:21
Wildlife 2.0 - Adapting to a New World
Modern landscapes - characterized by buildings, industrial areas, and roads - are increasingly shaping not only cities but also rural areas in Central Europe. For many wild animals, this is everyday reality, forcing them to adapt. At the same time, conservation efforts, shaped by modern approaches, are creating new habitats. The documentary explores this tension. It portrays a wilderness that no longer exists in its original form but instead consists of fragmented spaces where rare species find refuge. One key figure is the bearded vulture, a species that was extinct in the Alps for over a century but has been successfully reintroduced. Through its eyes, we see a dramatically altered world and meet other species adapting to these changes.
Director: Patrick CenturioniLocation: Vormsi Rahvamaja
Running time: 51 min
16:00 - 16:50
Airborne Episode 3 - Love in the Air
Nearly every species on earth must find a mate. Some become partners for life and for others it’s just a fleeting moment. All are here with one aim - to produce the next generation. Many have devised clever ways to get noticed and to ensure that, when it comes to the language of love, their message is loud & clear. In this film, we reveal how, by taking to the air, animals can master the art of romance through amazing acrobatics to seduction by scent. We show how being airborne is key for some species, to fight off competition and raise a family.
Director: Dani GodwinLocation: Vormsi Rahvamaja
Running time: 50 min
10:15 - 11:06
Wildlife 2.0 - Adapting to a New World
Modern landscapes - characterized by buildings, industrial areas, and roads - are increasingly shaping not only cities but also rural areas in Central Europe. For many wild animals, this is everyday reality, forcing them to adapt. At the same time, conservation efforts, shaped by modern approaches, are creating new habitats. The documentary explores this tension. It portrays a wilderness that no longer exists in its original form but instead consists of fragmented spaces where rare species find refuge. One key figure is the bearded vulture, a species that was extinct in the Alps for over a century but has been successfully reintroduced. Through its eyes, we see a dramatically altered world and meet other species adapting to these changes.
Director: Patrick CenturioniLocation: Mihkli Farm Museum (Saaremaa)
Running time: 51 min
09:15 - 10:05
Fabulous Insects - Beetles
An incredible 350,000 species of beetles live on our planet Earth, far more than any other group of insects. All these beetle species look different and have very different ways of life. Nevertheless, most of us know fewer beetles by name than we have fingers on one hand. „Fabulous Insects – Beetles“ presents colourful and bizarrely shaped species as well as the largest beetle in the world, in its habitat in the South American rainforest. The film also shows that the colourful diversity and beauty of beetles and their exciting natural history can be experienced right on our doorstep, in Central Europe. In aesthetic and never-before-seen macro slow-motion and time-lapse shots, the viewer experiences the world of beetles, which is more beautiful, colourful and surprising than many of us realise. Renowned entomologist Urmas Tartes will comment on the film at the festival's opening screening in Lihula.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Mihkli Farm Museum (Saaremaa)
Running time: 50 min
Wednesday
01.10.2025
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0013:30 - 14:29
Ikea loves Wood - Sustainability or Deceit?
Investigative documentary about one of the world's largest consumers of wood. Every second a tree is cut down to become an affordable IKEA product. IKEA claims it's all sustainable. But is it true? The documentary visits IKEA's forests in the Romanian Carpathian mountains - an area with some of the last old-growth forests in Europe and where illegal logging is widespread. According to independent experts, IKEA violates several of the rules that would otherwise protect the forest, wildlife and biodiversity.
Director: Tom HeinemannLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 59 min
12:00 - 12:50
Fabulous Insects - Beetles
An incredible 350,000 species of beetles live on our planet Earth, far more than any other group of insects. All these beetle species look different and have very different ways of life. Nevertheless, most of us know fewer beetles by name than we have fingers on one hand. „Fabulous Insects – Beetles“ presents colourful and bizarrely shaped species as well as the largest beetle in the world, in its habitat in the South American rainforest. The film also shows that the colourful diversity and beauty of beetles and their exciting natural history can be experienced right on our doorstep, in Central Europe. In aesthetic and never-before-seen macro slow-motion and time-lapse shots, the viewer experiences the world of beetles, which is more beautiful, colourful and surprising than many of us realise. Renowned entomologist Urmas Tartes will comment on the film at the festival's opening screening in Lihula.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Tallinn Zoo
Running time: 50 min
11:00 - 12:15
Notes From the Woods
A meditative film journey takes the viewer to the Estonian forest, where large predators bears, wolves and lynxes go about their daily business. The action takes place in a forest clearing that is used as a feeding ground for eagles. Proud white-tailed eagles and exceptionally long-legged golden eagles feast on fish heads. Suddenly, the eagles flee because a wolf, Estonia's national animal, has come to the feeding ground. The wolf is very cautious because he knows that fish heads do not move on dry land, and their mover is probably somewhere nearby. The desire to make an easy profit overcomes fear and the wolf, one of the main characters in our film, grabs the fish head and quickly darts between the trees to sniff it out. The wolf's instincts do not fail him, the feeding ground is managed by a man who has a shelter at the edge of the ground, where he films the life of the animals. The forest dwellers go fishing one after another, sometimes alone, sometimes in herds, sometimes peacefully, sometimes quarreling with each other. The film shows intriguing, sometimes unexpected situations, without offering direct commentary. The viewer could get a feeling of immediate presence.
Director: Riho VästrikLocation: Padise kloostri külastuskeskus
Running time: 75 min
13:30 - 14:21
Wildlife 2.0 - Adapting to a New World
Modern landscapes - characterized by buildings, industrial areas, and roads - are increasingly shaping not only cities but also rural areas in Central Europe. For many wild animals, this is everyday reality, forcing them to adapt. At the same time, conservation efforts, shaped by modern approaches, are creating new habitats. The documentary explores this tension. It portrays a wilderness that no longer exists in its original form but instead consists of fragmented spaces where rare species find refuge. One key figure is the bearded vulture, a species that was extinct in the Alps for over a century but has been successfully reintroduced. Through its eyes, we see a dramatically altered world and meet other species adapting to these changes.
Director: Patrick CenturioniLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 51 min
12:00 - 13:15
Secrets of the Western Sea
Join us on a breathtaking journey beneath the surface along the Swedish west coast. Here you will get to know the inhabitants of the Skagerrak and Kattegat through the changing seasons. You will witness behaviors that have never been filmed before and marvel at the richness of life forms, colors, and patterns that our Skagerrak and Kattegat seas have to offer. But you will also learn about the challenges facing the sea, which we humans ourselves have created. What happens beneath the surface is often unknown. But here it is revealed—the secrets of the Western sea.
Director: Tobias DahlinLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 75 min
10:30 - 11:29
Ikea loves Wood - Sustainability or Deceit?
Investigative documentary about one of the world's largest consumers of wood. Every second a tree is cut down to become an affordable IKEA product. IKEA claims it's all sustainable. But is it true? The documentary visits IKEA's forests in the Romanian Carpathian mountains - an area with some of the last old-growth forests in Europe and where illegal logging is widespread. According to independent experts, IKEA violates several of the rules that would otherwise protect the forest, wildlife and biodiversity.
Director: Tom HeinemannLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 59 min
09:00 - 10:15
Notes From the Woods
A meditative film journey takes the viewer to the Estonian forest, where large predators bears, wolves and lynxes go about their daily business. The action takes place in a forest clearing that is used as a feeding ground for eagles. Proud white-tailed eagles and exceptionally long-legged golden eagles feast on fish heads. Suddenly, the eagles flee because a wolf, Estonia's national animal, has come to the feeding ground. The wolf is very cautious because he knows that fish heads do not move on dry land, and their mover is probably somewhere nearby. The desire to make an easy profit overcomes fear and the wolf, one of the main characters in our film, grabs the fish head and quickly darts between the trees to sniff it out. The wolf's instincts do not fail him, the feeding ground is managed by a man who has a shelter at the edge of the ground, where he films the life of the animals. The forest dwellers go fishing one after another, sometimes alone, sometimes in herds, sometimes peacefully, sometimes quarreling with each other. The film shows intriguing, sometimes unexpected situations, without offering direct commentary. The viewer could get a feeling of immediate presence.
Director: Riho VästrikLocation: Vändra Kultuurimaja Kino
Running time: 75 min
18:00 - 19:15
Notes From the Woods
A meditative film journey takes the viewer to the Estonian forest, where large predators bears, wolves and lynxes go about their daily business. The action takes place in a forest clearing that is used as a feeding ground for eagles. Proud white-tailed eagles and exceptionally long-legged golden eagles feast on fish heads. Suddenly, the eagles flee because a wolf, Estonia's national animal, has come to the feeding ground. The wolf is very cautious because he knows that fish heads do not move on dry land, and their mover is probably somewhere nearby. The desire to make an easy profit overcomes fear and the wolf, one of the main characters in our film, grabs the fish head and quickly darts between the trees to sniff it out. The wolf's instincts do not fail him, the feeding ground is managed by a man who has a shelter at the edge of the ground, where he films the life of the animals. The forest dwellers go fishing one after another, sometimes alone, sometimes in herds, sometimes peacefully, sometimes quarreling with each other. The film shows intriguing, sometimes unexpected situations, without offering direct commentary. The viewer could get a feeling of immediate presence.
Director: Riho VästrikLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 75 min
Thursday
02.10.2025
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0018:00 - 19:15
Oceania: Journey to the Center
"Oceania: Journey to the Center" begins on a coral atoll – predicted to become uninhabitable by 2030 due to rising sea levels and temperatures brought by climate change. We are invited on a journey with a mother and her adult son as they strive to maintain their culture, freedom and independence after decades of colonizing encounters.
Director: Natalie ZimmermanLocation: Emajõe-Suursoo Keskus
Running time: 75 min
Saturday
04.10.2025
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0017:45 - 18:41
Burrowing Owls: A Love Story
In the shadows of a Cold War Military depot, a colony of pint-sized predators faces an uncertain future as one owl biologist races to save it from extinction. As a young family of burrowing owls learns to grow up wild, will his scientific discoveries be enough to rescue this fragile population in the wake of a changing planet?
Director: Alan LacyLocation: Klooga maja
Running time: 56 min
16:00 - 16:50
Fabulous Insects - Beetles
An incredible 350,000 species of beetles live on our planet Earth, far more than any other group of insects. All these beetle species look different and have very different ways of life. Nevertheless, most of us know fewer beetles by name than we have fingers on one hand. „Fabulous Insects – Beetles“ presents colourful and bizarrely shaped species as well as the largest beetle in the world, in its habitat in the South American rainforest. The film also shows that the colourful diversity and beauty of beetles and their exciting natural history can be experienced right on our doorstep, in Central Europe. In aesthetic and never-before-seen macro slow-motion and time-lapse shots, the viewer experiences the world of beetles, which is more beautiful, colourful and surprising than many of us realise. Renowned entomologist Urmas Tartes will comment on the film at the festival's opening screening in Lihula.
Director: Jan HaftLocation: Klooga maja
Running time: 50 min
14:00 - 14:49
Fluorescence: Nature’s Superpower
A blue-chip journey, that embarks us on land or in the sea to meet the creatures that possess a secret superpower: fluorescence. While fluorescence may go unnoticed by humans, it influences the lives of hundreds if not thousands of species. It plays a crucial role in terms of claiming territory, reproduction, survival and predation. We will use specialized equipment to swap our Homo sapiens sight for a vision that is more... animal. At last, we’ll see the world in fluorescence and strive to unpack its mysteries! With this system, we invite viewers to share an alternative version of our world where the most trivial creatures seem to have popped straight from the imagination of a sci-fi writer. We enter an alien dreamscape governed by color and light. A 100% wildlife film, to discover our world’s fascinating, fluorescent flora and fauna.
Director: Rachel Guénon & Samuel GuitonLocation: Padise kloostri külastuskeskus
Running time: 49 min
12:00 - 12:52
Mother Nature against Anxiolytics
What if one of the alternatives to psychotropics and other anxiolytics was at the tip of our fingers, with our hands in the soil, our nose in a bouquet of flowers, and our teeth biting into a freshly picked radish? What are the true physiological and psychological benefits of contact with a natural environment on our health? Mother nature against anxiolytics explores the experiences of users and caregivers involved in three field trials in the Grand-Est region (a therapeutic garden in a hospital retirement home, a reintegration program through horticulture, an outdoor school in the educational system) and demonstrates how this "free care for all," a real public health issue, is a crucial key to building more peaceful and cooperative societies.
Director: Cécile FlavierLocation: Padise kloostri külastuskeskus
Running time: 52 min
16:15 - 17:11
Burrowing Owls: A Love Story
In the shadows of a Cold War Military depot, a colony of pint-sized predators faces an uncertain future as one owl biologist races to save it from extinction. As a young family of burrowing owls learns to grow up wild, will his scientific discoveries be enough to rescue this fragile population in the wake of a changing planet?
Director: Alan LacyLocation: Aidu Veespordikeskuses
Running time: 56 min
15:30 - 15:59
The Story of the Demoiselle
The odonata – Dragonflies and Damselflies - inhabited our planet long before dinosaurs. They are among the world’s largest flying invertebrates. Near rivers and lakes in the summer, we meet slender bodied odonata, deep blue in color. These are Demoiselles. Along with other species, they too are trying to survive in a changing environment. In this film, we’ll witness the demoiselles’ circle of life from larva till death. We’ll learn about the dangers they face, how they fare when it comes to love, and how, finally, the next generation is set to sprout. We’ll be privy to exclusive underwater and on-water footage.
Director: Hannes RohtmaLocation: Aidu Veespordikeskuses
Running time: 29 min
16:00 - 16:29
The Story of the Demoiselle
The odonata – Dragonflies and Damselflies - inhabited our planet long before dinosaurs. They are among the world’s largest flying invertebrates. Near rivers and lakes in the summer, we meet slender bodied odonata, deep blue in color. These are Demoiselles. Along with other species, they too are trying to survive in a changing environment. In this film, we’ll witness the demoiselles’ circle of life from larva till death. We’ll learn about the dangers they face, how they fare when it comes to love, and how, finally, the next generation is set to sprout. We’ll be privy to exclusive underwater and on-water footage.
Director: Hannes RohtmaLocation: Rapla Kultuuriklubi BAAS
Running time: 29 min
14:00 - 14:50
Airborne Episode 3 - Love in the Air
Nearly every species on earth must find a mate. Some become partners for life and for others it’s just a fleeting moment. All are here with one aim - to produce the next generation. Many have devised clever ways to get noticed and to ensure that, when it comes to the language of love, their message is loud & clear. In this film, we reveal how, by taking to the air, animals can master the art of romance through amazing acrobatics to seduction by scent. We show how being airborne is key for some species, to fight off competition and raise a family.
Director: Dani GodwinLocation: Rapla Kultuuriklubi BAAS
Running time: 50 min
Sunday
05.10.2025
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0017:00 - 17:50
Airborne Episode 3 - Love in the Air
Nearly every species on earth must find a mate. Some become partners for life and for others it’s just a fleeting moment. All are here with one aim - to produce the next generation. Many have devised clever ways to get noticed and to ensure that, when it comes to the language of love, their message is loud & clear. In this film, we reveal how, by taking to the air, animals can master the art of romance through amazing acrobatics to seduction by scent. We show how being airborne is key for some species, to fight off competition and raise a family.
Director: Dani GodwinLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 50 min
15:45 - 16:26
Seven Sands
The seashore is the border between two different environments. It is a dream place where you can walk barefoot on warm sand or listen to the gentle lapping of the waves in the glow of the sunset. We are looking for singing sand on seven beaches in seven beautiful places in Estonia.
Director: Aare BaumerLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 41 min
14:30 - 15:22
The Boar Next Door
In the heart of a forest, in the shelter of the undergrowth, a litter of young wild boar is born. To survive, they must rely on their mother and their strong wild animal instincts. As they grow up, away from the family cocoon, they will learn about the laws of nature, companionship and the human world.
Director: Frank PizonLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 52 min
13:15 - 14:04
Little Mouse - The Brave Mother
A young mouse leaves her burrow in search of her own territory, during the process she will face endless dangers.
Director: Manuel Gracia GonzálezLocation: Narva eesti keele maja
Running time: 49 min
16:00 - 16:52
The Boar Next Door
In the heart of a forest, in the shelter of the undergrowth, a litter of young wild boar is born. To survive, they must rely on their mother and their strong wild animal instincts. As they grow up, away from the family cocoon, they will learn about the laws of nature, companionship and the human world.
Director: Frank PizonLocation: Keava Raamatukogu
Running time: 52 min
